Indian Super League (ISL) team FC Pune City firmed up its Italian connection by signing former Juventus star David Trezeguet as its marquee player. The eight ISL marquee players are likely to receive around $ 750,000 each from their respective teams for the inaugural season. The 36-year-old Trezguet was part of the France team that won the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship and the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Having tied up for technical support with Florence-based ACF Fiorentina, the Rajesh Wadhawan Group owned FC Pune City is likely to announce share holding relationship with the Serie A league team in a about six months time.
The Italian club’s CEO Sandro Mencucci introduced Trezeguet as the most popular European footballer after Michael Platini and Thierry Henry. At a media conference here on Wednesday, Mencucci, stressed upon the need to develop youth football and forming an academy at Pune. “Our club was languishing in Serie C2 , but we recovered, became strong and played the Champions League. We are involved in youth development in Switzerland, China and Japan and in a soccer movement in the California, USA. We would like to be part of the soccer movement in India. Trezeguet played for Juventus that was Fiorentina’s enemy team, but here we will work together,” said Mencucci.
Leonardo Limatola, head of planning and control, ACF Fiiorentina said that the standard of India’s I-League is a far cry from the top leagues in Europe. “We think the quality will improve with six overseas players taking the field with five Indians in the ISL. FC Pune City has an excellent and experienced coach in Franco Colomba (he has worked with Napoli, Cagliari, Verona and Parma) and he will find ways for the overseas and Indian players to adjust and combine well. The quality of the Indian players would improve. Not all the best Indian players were available at the draft. We debated a lot and did serious analysis before choosing a plyer” said Limatola.
The CEO of FC Pune City, Gaurav Modwel, said: “We draw inspiration from Pune city and the team will play with passion to achieve honour and glory. We would like to win on and off the pitch. Trezeguet will spearhead the team’s campaign. He has scored 138 goals in 245 appearances for Juventus. We will send our team to Florence for training.”