When you think of great managers in the beautiful game today, the obvious names come to mind. Pep Guardiola. José Mourinho. Jürgen Klopp. Diego Simeone. Brendan Rodgers. But after you read this, you will want to add another name: Stephen Constantine. Photos Courtesy of stephenconstantine.com Constantine, whose career was chronicled in From Delhi to the Den: The Story of Football’s Most Travelled Coach, has an amazing story and an equally impressive resume. His Twitter profile says “I
1. How would you describe the current state of Indian football? The current state of Indian football is a difficult one. The Indian national team is having difficult times with the results not matching to the expectations. There is sadly a decline since Team India played in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup in Qatar. Many senior players retired from international football after the continental championship and there was a change in the team management. The I-League didn’t attract too many fans, media
India is one of the brightest emerging markets in the beautiful game. FIFA clearly was aware of this when they awarded the country the 2017 U-17 World Cup, ushering in a new era of prosperity and growth for the entire region. A Social History of Indian Football: Striving to Score by Kausik Bandyopadhyay and Boria Majumdar is the definitive text for anyone looking to learn the history of Indian football. Simply put, it is THE resource for Indian
Photo Credit: Houston Hurricanes FC Houston Hurricanes FC, a charter member of the Texas Premier Soccer League (TPSL), has signed Indian football prodigy Pratik Shinde to a three-year contract extension. “I talked with our General Manager Roderick Lemond and we decided that we wanted to tie him down for the next three years,” Hurricanes President/Head Coach Brendan Keyes stated. “He deserves full credit for his recent performances, coming over to a foreign country with with his family back in India must
KickoffIndia.com Feature He is barely 14 and stands at just 5 feet 6 inches, but his small stature is already making heads turn in English football circles. Photo Credit: LFC India/Kickoff India A recent winner of the Up and Coming Player prize at the 2013 Asian Football Awards held at Wembley, Yan Dhanda is already making a name for himself with football pundits rating him the next big prodigy from Asia. The journey of a young Indian origin player is already
KickoffIndia.com Feature Photo Credit: John Todd/San Jose Earthquakes American soccer lovers know the name of Cornell Glen. The Trinidad & Tobago World Cupper made a name for himself during his four year stint with MLS clubs like the MetroStars, FC Dallas, Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids, LA Galaxy, and the San Jose Earthquakes. The 31-year-old striker set the field on fire with his sublime attacking skills and was regarded one of the best players from T & T to play in MLS. Since
The return of Indian footballing phenom Pratik Shinde is big news in India and here in the Texas Premier Soccer League (TPSL). Photo Credit: Houston Hurricanes FC The attack-minded Shinde finds himself back in the United States, back where it all began in Texas. Less than two years ago Shinde became the youngest Indian player to play abroad when he signed with the NPSL’s Galveston Pirate. Today he returns as a member of the Houston Hurricanes FC, a team that performed
International Soccer Network announced a formal content partnership with Kickoff India in early July. Here is our first segment with Kickoff India Director Vaibhav Pawar. Pawar with Mumbai Tigers/India international Steven Dias (Photo Courtesy of Vaibhav Pawar) 1. Why is India such an important market for international football as a whole? Let me give you a small quote of FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who had visited India early last year: “If we have to identify new territories where football can be a
International Soccer Network, LLC (ISN) is proud to announce a formal content partnership with Kickoff India. The agreement brings the latest football (soccer) news from India to the North American market. The new content will be featured weekly on ISNSoccer.com. “ISN is proud to work with Kickoff India to provide our readers with news on emerging soccer markets,” ISN Editor Gary L. Moody Jr. stated. “We are excited about India’s potential in the beautiful game and we know that our readers
