The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) ‘International Player Draft’ took place in Mumbai today as the eight ISL teams picked their players from a pool with 49 international footballers.
Kerala Blaster FC were able to clinch the most prominent name in the list, while picking English footballer of Indian origin Michael Chopra. Atlético de Kolkata were able to grab Liverpool’s 2004-06 UEFA Champions League winning defender Josemi and FC Barcelona product Jofre Mateu González.
Team Chennai, who replaced Bangalore as the eight ISL franchise after Bangalore team owners Sun Group pulled out, roped in former French international Bernard Mendy and former Manchester United winger Bojan Djordjic.
ISL International Player Draft at a glance
Atlético de Kolkata
Borja Fernandez, Jofre Mateu Gonzalez, Josemi, Arnal Llibert Conde Carbo, Sylvain Monsoreau, Jakub Podany, Apoula Edma Edel Bete
Delhi Dynamos FC
Mads Junker, Morten Skoubo, Bruno Herrero Arias, Gustavo Marmentini dos Santos, Marek Cech, Pavel Elias, Henrique Dinis Oliveira Dias
FC Pune City
Emanuele Belardi, Bruno Cirillo, Ivan Bolado Palacios, Saidou Mady Panandetiguiri, Omar Andres Rodriguez Martinez, Andres Felipe Gonzalez Ramirez, Park Kwang-Il
Kerala Blasters FC
Michael Chopra, Ian Hume, Víctor Herrero Forcada, Erwin Spitzner, Pedro Adriano Veloso Gusmao, Cedric Hengbart, Raphael Romey
Northeast United FC
Isaac Chansa, Cornell Glen, Massamba Lô Sambou, Do Dong-Hyun, Guilherme Felipe De Castro, Tomas Josl, Luis Alfredo Yanes Padilla
Team Chennai
Bernard Mendy, Cristian Hidalgo Gonzalez, Gennaro Bracigliano, Bojan Djordjic, Bruno Augusto Pelissari de Lima, Jairo Andrez Suarez Carvajal, Eduardo Silva Lerma
Team Goa
Miroslav Slepicka, Jan Seda, Bruno Filipe Tavares Pinheiro, Youness Bengelloun, Miguel Bruno Pereira Herlein, Gregory Arnolin, Edgar Carvalho Figueira Marcelino
Team Mumbai
Diego Fernando Nadaya, Jan Stohanzl, Francisco Javier Fernandez Luque, Pavel Cmovs, Johann Letzelter, Andre Matos Dias Pereira, Ilias Pollalis