Even the smallest things, which include those off the pitch. "One should know the culture of the country to understand its players. NorthEast United FC's João Carlos, who prefers a pragmatic approach on the pitch, immersed himself in researching Indian football three months before the ISL was about to start. The Dutchman was part of Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United coaching set-up for 12 years and was at the forefront of getting the best out of players like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.įC Goa have brought in Sergio Lobera, who coached Barcelona's youth teams for close to a decade. Sheringham is the biggest name, but last year's losing finalists Kerala Blasters went for René Meulensteen. Some, like Marco Materazzi, were successes while Brazilian great Zico had mixed reviews from his time at FC Goa-just like Roberto Carlos at Delhi Dynamos. This time, teams have gone for coaches who have low playing profiles but have coached extensively around the world and can be described as hands-on trainers. Earlier, players with storied careers would come in as coaches. The other stark difference is in the coaches that the teams have signed. In August, the club signed six Aiff (All India Football Federation) Elite Academy players and many will be seen in action during the ISL. Gregory adds that Chennaiyin, which did not sign a marquee player, have diverted their finances towards signing good youngsters. You will see some youngsters play for us, not for just 10 minutes in the end, but become a core part of the team," says Chennaiyin FC coach John Gregory. They will get the added responsibility playing live on television week in, week out. “It is really important for Indian players to play more. The ISL, however, is slowly moving away from riding on the shoulders of foreign signings to making teams choose from the talent pool within the country. Three of the 10 head coaches come from England, the home of the Premier League, which has often been criticized for having too many foreigners in starting elevens in 2005, for instance, Arsenal fielded a team without a single player from the UK. This goes hand in hand with the ISL's latest rule-teams need to have at least six Indians on the pitch at all times.ĪTK manager Teddy Sheringham, who has won three Premier League titles and scored the equalizer in Manchester United's epic 2-1 Champions League victory over Bayern Munich in 1999, believes this quota system will give more responsibility and playing time to Indians-and develop Indian football in the process. The league has done away with the requirement of mandatory signing of a marquee player, and even though Kerala Blasters and ATK have signed strikers Dimitar Berbatov (ex-Manchester United) and Robbie Keane (ex-Tottenham Hotspur), respectively, the other teams will depend on a patchwork of experienced foreigners and turn their focus to strengthening their Indian rosters. But while this season may be the ISL's most elaborate so far, it will also present it with its biggest test.