‘ISL is more than a business venture, it is a passion’

Mumbai City FC owner Ranbir Kapoor wants to convert football in India into a movement, transform local players into celebrities

November 25, 2017 12:57 am | Updated 08:03 am IST - Mumbai

 Let’s football:  Ranbir Kapoor, actor and co-owner of Mumbai City FC , (left) with the team’s Costa Rican coach Alexandre Guimaraes and goalkeeper Amrinder Singh

Let’s football: Ranbir Kapoor, actor and co-owner of Mumbai City FC , (left) with the team’s Costa Rican coach Alexandre Guimaraes and goalkeeper Amrinder Singh

Be it films, or football, it is passion that drives Ranbir Kapoor, actor and co-owner of Mumbai City FC since 2014.

Now in its fourth season now, Mumbai City qualified for the semi-final in Indian Super League 2016. The Hindu caught up with him ahead of a home game against FC Goa at Mumbai Football Arena, Andheri Sports Complex on Saturday.

Not just a fascination for football, the actor says what drives him is an ambition to transform Indian football and turn domestic players into household names. On his involvement with the game through ISL, he says, “Football was part of my childhood, I played for my school team. So the chance to become part of ISL is a big high for me. The bigger picture here is growth of football in our country and if this becomes our national sport, it will be great.”

While the Kapoor khandaan, often referred to as Bollywood’s first family, has been more interested in cricket, with father (Rishi) and grandfather (Raj) being huge cricket fans, Ranbir connected to football at a very young age. “I felt alive playing for my school U-14 team in an inter-school tournament. I scored a goal and my name came in the newspaper. My mother cut out that news. More than any award for a super-hit film, recognition and meaning from that newspaper cutting in my life is huge,” he recalls.

More than an owner, he describes himself as a fan of his team — getting emotional at losing, and experiencing their joy on winning. The deep connect notwithstanding, he does not micro manage the team, leaving that to coach Alexandre Guimaraes from Costa Rica. “We have a capable person in the coach, I agree with his leadership and intention. Our mindset is similar,” says Kapoor.

Film actor Pran talking to Veeren Munshi of the BBC Hindi Service.
Photo: The Hindu Archives

Film actor Pran talking to Veeren Munshi of the BBC Hindi Service. Photo: The Hindu Archives

 

He is committed to creating home-grown superstars. Kapoor is confident that once this is achieved, foreigners will not be needed to popularise the sport here. “Every team,” he says, “is moving towards giving quality infrastructure, match exposure and fan experience for domestic talent. These are small steps towards the big goal – growth of Indian football.”

The birth of ISL was a fascinating time for football and Kapoor found the first season tremendous. “Just the fact that we saw so many people coming to the stadium was fantastic. Indian fans got to see quality footballers come and play in our country. For Mumbai City, 2016 was the best season. We had a great bunch. Players of the calibre of Diego Forlan (former Uruguay World Cupper and Athletico Madrid star in La Liga), Sunil Chhetri (current Indian team captain), Sehnaj Singh (mid-fielder playing for MCFC), to name a few.”

Kapoor feels everybody follows the sport today. “The EPL, the La Liga ... India never had a league which everybody could follow. The ISL brings with it entertainment and engagement, the fan base is growing and more people trust it. It will take a couple of more years for the event to become solid.”

Football, he says, is such a sport that anybody can play. Actors can use their celebrity status to support, and play a role in the growth of the sport. Other celebrity owners in the ISL include John Abraham (North East United FC), Abhishek Bachchan (Chennaiyin FC), and Arjun Kapoor (FC Pune City).

This Bollywood-football connection too is not new. Actor Pran once owned the Bombay Dynamos Football Club in the local league and superstar of that era would be in the stadium to cheer the team. (See Box).

“We get exposure because we are actors. ISL is more than a business venture, it is a passion. I enjoy being a part of it, and am trying to transform it into a movement,” says Kapoor, adding, “I wish we have a nine-month long league.”

India hosting the U-17 World Cup for the first time this year has come at the right time, feels the MCFC owner. “I followed the U-17 World Cup on television, and watched a practice match at the Mumbai Football Arena. We should be proud that the World Cup came to our country. We should all work towards bringing the main World Cup to India and have our national team taking part and creating an opportunity to turn out local players into football superstars,” says Kapoor.

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