Hero ISL attracts international players from across continents

The league organisers IMG-Reliance and Star India on Thursday announced the names of 27 players for the ‘central international player draft pool’ representing countries like Spain, Czech Republic, South Korea, France, Brazil, Colombia, Senegal, Burkina Faso.

Hero Indian Super League have signed 30 overseas players, including the earlier announcements of three ie Jairo Suarez, Andrés González (Colombia) and Bojan Djordjic (Sweden).

The ‘international player draft’, to be held on Aug 21 in Mumbai will feature 49 overseas players and will witness the eight ISL clubs putting their expertise to test in selecting seven international players each for the squad of 22.

Of the 30 players, the Indian fans will witness the Spanish style of football with six players from the country, including Jofre Mateu Gonzalez, 34 and Victor Herrero Forcada, 28 – both a product of FC Barcelona’s prolific youth system - plying their trade for the ISL clubs. South Korean duo, Do Dong-Hyun (20) and Park Kwang – II (23) will bring the Asian appeal to ISL, while six experienced players will represent Czech Republic.

Hero Indian Super League have also roped in the services of five promising young Brazilian players from Atletico Paranaense, namely Erwin Spitzner (20), Gustavo Marmentini dos Santos (20), Guilherme Felipe de Castro (22), Bruno Augusto Pelissari de Lima (21) and Pedro Adriano Veloso Gusmao (22). The League has closed on the remaining 19 overseas players and is in the process of receiving the contract documents from the respective identified players.