Former Aston Villa, Celtic and Bulgaria international Stylian Petrov is believed to have rejected a move to the ISL in the last month. The midfielder retired in 2013 following a leukaemia battle but returned to training with Villa in 2016, although was not offered a new deal. Petrov is believed to be open to returning to playing, for the right offer. Unfortunately for the Indian Super League fans, the man capped over 100 times by his country felt he deserved a better deal considering his experience and will not be heading to India.
Former England striker Rickie Lambert has also said no to a move to the league. The Liverpool-born striker was contacted by Kerala Blasters, hoping to link him up with fellow Scouse striker Iain Hume. Sadly for the Blasters, Lambert declined their approach.
Who remembers the former Arsenal striker Julio Baptista? Now 35, the ex-Real Madrid, Arsenal, Roma, Malaga and Brazil international was also offered a deal by Kerala Blasters but they were rejected once again. Bolton Wanderers, bottom of the English Championship were also an option for “the beast”.
In a move that is aimed at getting more female fans interested in the Indian Super League, Dehli Dynamos have signed Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez as their “brand ambassador” for the 2017 season.
“With Jacqueline coming on board, Delhi Dynamos will become the first Indian Football Club to have a female brand ambassador that has a wide international audience. This goes in line with the club’s vision to be not only a club of India, but a club with international ambitions” Delhi Dynamos Director Rohan Sharma announced.
“We are proud to have Jacqueline Fernandez as the Brand Ambassador of Delhi Dynamos FC. DDFC is one large family; Indian at heart with a potpourri of international participants. Together, we are the cusp of a sporting revolution to make the single biggest sport in the world, an Indian game. With Jacqueline’s help, we can “move the needle” faster. I am sure that Jacqueline will invigorate our players, our fans and all those who share the love for football and especially for the LIONS” Dr. Anil Sharma, President and CEO, GMS commented.
“I am really excited and looking forward to interacting with the fans in Delhi. Delhi Dynamos is a team that has been consistent in their performances over the years and hopefully this time we can win the ISL together. The club and I share the same view, i.e to help promote the sport and engage more female audience into watching and playing the game, and hopefully together we can bring a change,” Jacqueline Fernandez finished off with at the press conference unveiling their agreement.
Finally, Spain is very much the destination of choice for the ISL clubs this preseason as Mumbai City have jetted off to Valencia for their preseason camp. Like the other sides choosing Spain for their preparations, head coach Alexandre Guimaraes is hoping for to use the trip to get the players ready in some tough competitive fixtures against local Spanish clubs.
