For some years now, big European football clubs have shown an interest in India, exploring the possibilities of setting up either academies or getting into tie-ups with local clubs. Germany’s Bayern Munich did so in 2008 when its footballers came to Calcutta to play a friendly with Mohun Bagan, and Oliver Kahn, Bayern’s famous goalkeeper and former captain of the national side, announcing his retirement from the sport in the city. But talks of further cooperation between the two sides did not go very far and dissipated as soon as the German footballers left the Indian soil.
In later years, many other European clubs, including Spain’s Real Madrid and Barcelona FC, also showed interest in setting up academies in the country. However, it finally fell on La Liga leaders, Atletico Madrid, to do what many others have been promising for years. Last month, the Spanish club became a stakeholder in the proposed Indian Super League when it joined former Indian cricketer Saurav Ganguly in launching ‘Atletico de Kolkata’.
Why India? Atletico’s owner, Miguel Angel Gil Marin, made no bones about it: “India is a huge market and so, when we were approached, we thought, ‘Why not?’” Club officials feel that since India has a huge population and given the fact there is also a huge passion for the game, there is no reason why India could not live up to its reputation and become a leading football playing nation in Asia and the world. Atletico plans to work at the grassroots and set up an academy in Calcutta. Maybe, once that happens, other biggies from Spain and other European countries will also feel confident to put their money where their mouth has been.
