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[BangaloreaN]

Five clubs get direct entry as AIFF revamps I-League with new format







The I-League is expected to have 16 teams this season after the All India Football Federation (AIFF) gave the go ahead for all five corporate bidders to be provided a direct entry into the I-League.
The I-League, India’s second-tier club competition after the Indian Super League, has 12 teams with champions RoundGlass Punjab FC being promoted to the top tier. Two bottom-placed teams – Sudeva Delhi and Kenkre FC – are relegated and will be replaced by Delhi FC and Shillong Lajong from the second division.
“The five corporate bidders meet the criteria and tick all the boxes,” a senior AIFF official told TOI after the meeting on Monday. “We cannot afford to be selective and choose, based on their financial strength alone. All five have been cleared to take part.”
Nimida United (owners of FC Bengaluru United), Namdhari Sports Academy (Ludhiana), YMS Finance (owners of Inter Kashi, Varanasi) and Concatenate Advest Advisory Pvt Ltd, who aim to start a club in Delhi, will be the new entrants in the I-League.
Bunkerhill Pvt Ltd (Ambala) have also got the nod, but if they complete the paperwork for a majority stake in Mohammedan Sporting Club, already in I-League, the company will be ineligible to start a new one.
“There will be 16 teams in the I-League, but we will not have the traditional home and away format,” said another official. “The format will only add to the financial burden of the AIFF and participating clubs. Instead, we are introducing a new Conference-type model, like they have in the United States.”
According to the new format, the 16 teams will be divided into two zones of eight teams each with the teams playing each other twice, home and away. The top four teams from each zone will then qualify for playoffs.
“If we don’t act, the I-League would be dead in a few years. You can see what is happening right now; players fly from one end to the other, and then go to some other place the next day. It’s taking a toll on the club’s finances and the players’ health. Besides, everyone is aware, that we cannot have prime time kickoffs since it clashes with ISL.
“The I-League is normally dead after seven or eight rounds now. Fans and teams lose interest. If the team is not in contention for the title and are safe from relegation, you don’t take the matches seriously. In the new format, teams will have a chance to qualify for the top-four till the end,” said the official.
The AIFF is also planning to take the I-League playoffs to neutral venues with football-crazy Kolhapur in Maharashtra being touted as one option. Nagaland, which does not have a club in the top three leagues, has also been discussed.

[BangaloreaN]

Defending champion India and Kuwait had also played out a 1-1 draw in their last group match.




Bengaluru, Jul 4 (PTI) Goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu made the difference once again as he saved a crucial penalty kick in the summit clash to help India beat Kuwait 5-4 in the shootout and clinch SAFF Championships title for the ninth time here on Tuesday.
After five rounds of penalty kicks, the scoreline remained 4-4 and sudden death rule was applied.
Mahesh Naorem scored but a diving Sandhu saved Kuwait captain Khaled Hajiah's shot to the wild celebration of the home fans and at the India dug out.
In the regulation time, Shabaib Al Khaldi had put Kuwait in the lead in the 14th minute before Lallianzuala Chhangte equalised in the 39th minute.
This was the second time India won in the penalty shootout. They had made it to Tuesday's summit clash after beating Lebanon 4-2 in penalty shootout in the semifinal on July 1. Sandhu had also made a crucial save in the shootout then.

For India, captain Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan, Chhangte, Subasish Bose and Mahesh converted while Udanta Singh missed.
Before the shootout drama, Kuwait held a slight edge as they pressed forward for goals often in the first half.
The relentlessness fetched the desired result in the 14th minute. Mobarak Al Faneeni released Abullah Al Bloushi on the left wing with a deft pass. Al Bloushi found Shabaib Al Khaldi inside the box with an accurate cross which the latter slotted past India custodian Sandhu to give Kuwait 1-0 lead.

India could have levelled the scores within a minute but Kuwait goalkeeper Abdul Rahman blocked Chhangte’s long ranger.

But Chhangte, who was named AIFF Men's Player of the Year on Tuesday, was not to be denied a second time in the 39th minute.
After a lovely exchange of passes between Sahal Abdul Samad and captain Chhetri, the latter found an unmarked Chhangte deep inside the box. Chhangte, India’s energetic No. 12, had little trouble in beating Abdul Rahman to find the equaliser.

It atoned for Chhetri’s failure to score during the regulation time for the second match in a row to an extent.
In the second half, the action continued to flow thick and fast as both India and Kuwait searched for the winner.
Both sides came close to scoring their respective second goals, but unable to do that, as the match moved towards the extra time for the second successive time for both the teams.
The extra time too witnessed frenetic action from both the sides. There were couple of injuries, yellow cards to players and officials of both sides and a slew of corners.

But that the decisive goal did not come through, making a penalty shootout mandatory to pick the winner.

[ikka]

[BangaloreaN]

Bayern Munich beat local side Rottach-Egern 27-0 in pre-season match


If Bayern Munich's first game of pre-season is anything to go by they might not need Tottenham striker Harry Kane - having beaten Rottach-Egern 27-0.
Thirteen players got on the score sheet, with Jamal Musiala, Mathys Tel and Marcel Sabitzer grabbing five each.


Sabitzer, who was on loan at Manchester United last season, scored his five goals in 22 second-half minutes.
It was 18-0 at half-time before amateur side Rottach-Egern limited Bayern to nine goals after the break.
Serge Gnabry, with a hat-trick, Alphonso Davies, Konrad Laimer, Noussair Mazraoui, Dayot Upamecano, Leroy Sane, Raphael Guerreiro, Ryan Gravenberch, Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane were the other players to score.

[BangaloreaN]

Eden Hazard

Chelsea-yil rajavine pole vaana thaaram, Chelesea-yude best period-il athinte munnil ninna hero.
Chelesea fans ithratholam snehicha videsha tharangal adhikam kaanilla.

Real Madrid-ile 4 varshangal, parikkukal, side-bench - 4 varshathil kalichathu 54 kalikal, adichathu verum 4 goals.

avasanam mutual agreement-il contract end cheythu free agent, puthiya club aayittum illa.

[ikka]

Fabulous Messi Game with brace to take Inter Miami to Pre Quarters

[BangaloreaN]

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer earnings compared to Kylian Mbappe’s humongous salary offer







The salary offered to Kylian Mbappé is UNBELIEVABLE:
€700,000,000 a year
€58,333,333 per month
€13,461,538 per week
€1,917,808 per day
€79,908 per hour
€1331 per minute
€22 per second

The football world went bonkers recently when Kylian Mbappe was the subject of a massive transfer offer with a ridiculous salary that would have dwarfed tennis greats Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s prize-money earnings over their careers.

Not a football fan? Well, here is a quick lowdown on the transfer offer from Saudi Arabia.
Kylian Mbappe is one of the biggest superstars in football as he won the World Cup with France in 2018 and also finished runner-up in 2022 – setting numerous records along the way – while at club level he has already won six Ligue 1 titles in his native France with five of them coming with his current club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
The attacker joined PSG in 2017 – when he was just 18 – in a deal worth €180 million (roughly £154m at the current exchange rates) and he has become one of the best players in the world since then.
Whereas PSG have in the past been known for spending millions, the tables have turned recently as Saudi Arabia are now also offering megabucks to some of the world’s best players with Cristiano Ronaldo joining the Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League in January this year and he reportedly earns €200m per year (£171m).
However, that is peanuts compared to what Al-Hilal offered to Mbappe in July as they were willing to pay PSG €300m (£258m) for the transfer while the French star would have earned a staggering €700m (£601m) for a one-year contract.
Yes, he would have earned €700,000,000 over 12 months. Remember that figure doesn’t include endorsements.

Kylian Mbappe’s one-year salary offer vs Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer prize-money earnings

So how would that figure have stacked up against what tennis’ three biggest earners – Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer – have made from the sport over the years?
Djokovic currently leads the ATP’s prize-money earnings list as he has made $171,254,424 (£134m or €156m) over the past two decades and it doesn’t come close to what Mbappe would have earned in one year.
Nadal is next on the list and the Spaniard has collected $134,640,719 (£105m or €123m) in prize-money earnings while Federer – who retired last year – made $130,594,339 (£102 or €119).

Even if you add the three greatest tennis players of all time’s career-prize money earnings together (€398m) it still doesn’t come close to that eye-watering €700m that Mbappe would have earned.

Mbappe, though, turned down the offer that would have seen him earn €22 per second, €1,332 a minute, €79,900 an hour, €1.9m a day and €58.33m per month.
Even if you take the top 10 all-time prize money earnings ($575m/€525m) on the ATP it still doesn’t come close to the €700m.

[ikka]

Another brace from Messi to come back from 2-4 down to equalize 4-4 at 85th minutes of the game with a freekick - his 64th!! Fabulous stuff.

Enters Quarter Finals of Leagues Cup 2023.

[ikka]

[BangaloreaN]

@ikka
ithu general football news and articles post cheyyan ulla thread aanu.
Inter Miami match results post cheyyanam enkil separate MLS season thread or Inter Miami thread thudanguka.
Messi specific contents Messi official thread-il post cheyyuka.