In an exclusive chat with rediff.com Materazzi throws light on his team's rise in the ISL and the camaraderie among his players.
India's new soccer league with its cast of celebrity owners, experienced foreign managers and a sprinkling of high-profile players will kick off on Sunday, igniting hopes of waking the country from its football slumber.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
An ambitious project to awaken a sleeping giant of Asian soccer looks like confirming Nobel laureate Amartya Sen's famous remark that India pricks up its ears only when comparisons with China are made. With China embarked on a multi-billion dollar mission to become a soccer superpower by 2050, India looks set to follow suit with its own plan to raise its status in the game to match its burgeoning economic power. Come October, India, most famously described as soccer's sleeping giant by former FIFA president Sepp Blatter, will launch a programme to engage more than 11 million children in soccer-related activities.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has launched a scathing attack on the club's manager Arsene Wenger, saying he could not make a case for the Frenchman to extend his reign beyond this season.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Following their 2-0 win over nine-member Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League game at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, NorthEast United FC's head coach Ricki Herbert said he was disappointed that his team couldn't defeat their under-strength opponents by a bigger margin.
Amid the buzz surrounding what has been termed a game-changer for Indian football, Brazilian legend Zico says the 158-ranked nation's hopes of scaling greater heights in the world sport depends solely on the local players' "mentality" and their "ability" to develop.
Star striker Sunil Chhetri was bought at Rs 1.20 crore at the first-ever Indian Super League's auction featuring 10 domestic football players in Mumbai, on Friday.
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