Italian legend Alessandro del Piero scored his first goal at the fag end of the tournament via a superb free-kick as Delhi Dynamos rallied from two goal down to hold leaders Chennaiyin FC 2-2 in a thrilling Indian Super League football match on Tuesday.
They may have had a poor outing in the inaugural season of the Indian Super League, but ask Delhi Dynamos' manager-cum-player and he would tell you that he is here to win the trophy for the team.
The 2006 FIFA World Cup winner and Delhi Dynamos coach says 'ISL can also improve Indian players by having good coaches, academies which will help to grow Indian football'
Former Italy great Alessandro Del Piero will play for the Delhi franchise of the Indian Super League (ISL) and will also be the competition's brand ambassador, the ex-Juventus player has said.
Italy's renowned World Cup winner Alessandro Del Piero has called the Indian Super League football tournament an 'adventure' and said he was 'enthusiastic' about embarking on this new journey.
Playing in his first competitive match in the country, Italian legend Alessandro del Piero said that he enjoyed the adulation he got from the football fans.
But the hosts did have their equaliser in the 54th minute from another corner. Rene Mihelic whipped one into the far post where Rana Gharami managed to head it back across the box. Kotal, this time around, directed it home from close-range.
Bottom-placed NorthEast United FC struck through a Simao Sabrosa penalty to shock reigning champions Atletico de Kolkata 1-0 in an Indian Super League football match at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday
Former Manchester United star and Indian Super League side ATK's coach Teddy Sheringham said it was unusual to finish a football game post midnight, something that he had never experienced in his long association with the game.
Tainted by a doping offence a year ago, Indian footballer Rana Gharami has now become a hero in his home town, by lending a helping hand to those struggling to survive the coronavirus pandemic. The 29-year-old former Odisha FC defender hails from Garalgacha in West Bengal's Hooghly district.
Delhi Dynamos unveiled Brazilian World Cup winner Roberto its marquee manager-cum-player for the second season of the Indian Super League. Manu Shankar/Rediff.com reports
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
To the few uninitiated, Alessandro Del Piero, garlanded with marigold, was mistaken for a Hollywood star before football aficionados sent across the message that the biggest attraction of the inaugural Indian Super League had just landed in New Delhi.
Last season's Golden Boot winner Marcelo once again proved why he was the biggest threat as he struck a double (13th and 60th minutes) and also assisted two other goals in a fine display of wingplay to bury ATK in front of their home fans.
Former England goalkeeper and Kerala Blasters captain-cum-manager David James came out in defence of the team's marquee players' performance in the ongoing Hero Indian Super League, saying that they have not come to India for 'retirement holiday'.
India football captain Sunil Chhetri capped a superb display with a fine hat-trick to orchestrate Mumbai City FC's 5-1 rout of North East United FC in the Indian Super League at the D Y Patil Stadium.
Defender Anas Edathodika and midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh emerged as costliest picks for an identical Rs 1.1 crore by new outfit Jamshedpur FC and two-time champions ATK respectively in the Indian Super League domestic players draft in Mumbai on Sunday.
Legendary Sachin Tendulkar feels that Indian Super League has begun on the right note and the 'fantastic start' on Sunday would be a huge boost towards changing the face of the game in the country.
Chennaiyin FC marquee player Elano Blumer and John Mendoza fired two goals each to steamroll a hapless Mumbai FC 5-1 and bounce back from their previous match defeat in the Hero Indian Super League on Tuesday.
Actor John Abraham, co-owner of Northeast United FC, is confident that the club would give a tough fight to other teams at the upcoming Indian Super League.
Mohun Bagan, East Bengal blast AIFF after Goan clubs quit I-League
Hertha Berlin's Salomon Kalou scored twice, including a stoppage-time penalty, to earn a last-gasp 2-2 draw at Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday.
The Indian football team has re-entered the top-100 of the FIFA world rankings and is now placed at 99th at the latest chart released on Thursday.
Chennaiyin FC rode on Jeje Lalpekhlua's 64th minute strike to beat Pune City FC by a solitary goal and book a semi-final spot in the Indian Super League football tournament in Pune on Saturday.
Brazilian Andre Moritz dazzled the home crowd with a hat-trick of goals to power Mumbai City FC to a stunning 5-0 victory over state rivals FC Pune City in a Hero Indian Super League fixture.
FC Goa secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over FC Pune City to climb up from the bottom of the Indian Super League points table in Pune on Thursday. FC Goa were in danger of exiting the league early this season but coach Zico masterminded his first win over a team coached by Antonio Habas as Brazilian striker Rafael Coelho scored the all-important goal from a free-kick in the 32nd minute at Balewadi Sports Complex Stadium here. The win helped FC Goa move to the seventh spot with seven points from eight matches while FC Pune City are now at the bottom with six points from seven matches.
Minerva Punjab did not turn up for the first match of the qualification round, prompting the national federation to describe it as a 'crazy' and 'unacceptable' move.
2010 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner Diego Forlan struck a brilliant hat-trick, the first of the season, to power Mumbai City FC to the top of the Indian Super League table with a 5-0 demolition of Kerala Blasters in Mumbai on Saturday.
Mumbai City FC and FC Goa played out an action-packed goalless draw in the Hero Indian Super League clash after both the teams failed to score on many occasions at the D Y Patil Stadium on Monday.
Canadian striker Ian Hume made light of a bandaged head to score a fine hat-trick and help defending champions Atletico de Kolkata drub Mumbai City FC 4-1 in a fast-paced Indian Super League football match at the D Y Patil Stadium, in Mumbai, on Sunday.
Atletico de Kolkata's erratic run in away games continued as a spirited Pune City FC held them to a 1-1 draw in an 11th round encounter of the Indian Super League, in Pune, on Saturday.
A stunning goal from Nicolas Anelka helped Mumbai City FC to pip Kerala Blasters 1-0, in their Hero Indian Super League (ISL) match at the D.Y. Patil stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Defending champions ATK Kolkata scored their maiden victory in this year's Indian Super League when they got the better of Mumbai City FC 1-0 in Mumbai on Sunday.
Table toppers Mumbai City FC qualified for the semi-finals of the Indian Super League for the first time in three seasons after they outclassed defending champions Chennaiyin FC 2-0 in Mumbai on Wednesday. Mumbai scored a goal in each half through Matias Defederico (32nd minute) and Krisztian Vadocz (60th), and should have won by a much bigger margin but for India captain Sunil Chhetri muffing two of the three gilt-edged chances in the last 10 minutes of the game. Mumbai did not start the game at the frenetic pace they set during their 5-0 thrashing of Kerala Blasters at this same ground four days ago, but they clearly had the better of the exchanges with their slick passing upfront.
NorthEast United struck twice in the second half in a remarkable turnaround to stun Mumbai City FC 2-0 in a Hero Indian Super League match which saw the home side reduced to nine men in the end in Mumbai.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
It's not every day that a European star comes to India to play in a football league. That's why when Alessandro Del Piero turns up to be a part of the Indian Super League it's reason to celebrate.
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