Panjim: Mahesh Gawli’s Rs 1 crore deal with Dempo Sports Club is passe. Last year, when Dempo lured India’s top defender from Mahindra United with a record three year deal, jaws dropped. But a year later, the figure is no longer hairraising stuff.
This season several of India’s better known footballers will be laughing their way to the bank as clubs get magnanimous with fat pay packets, thanks to the emergence of several new clubs and Indian football’s professional surge.
Take Sunil Chhetri, the new face of Indian football, for example. The diminutive striker has inked a one year deal with East Bengal worth Rs 38 lakh with a 30 per cent assured hike when both parties sit across the table, next year.
At East Bengal, Chhetri will not be alone in the above Rs 30-lakh bracket. Mahindra United duo of Steven Dias and N P Pradeep, both reportedly unhappy with the Mumbai champions, are being pursued by East Bengal with contracts worth Rs 35 lakh each, while captain Alvito D’Cunha has successfully renegotiated a one year deal worth Rs 32 lakhs.
“I’m not bothered or disappointed to hear that a junior player is geting more than me. I am happy for them and content that the club has appreciated my performance and rewarded me accordingly,’’ Alvito told ToI.
East Bengal are willing to offer Subrata Paul, unarguably the best goalkeeper in the country, a Rs 35 lakh season contract but the Tata Football Academy graduate is understood to be mulling over a big-money move to I-League qualifiers Mumbai FC.
Subrata is now the hottest property in the Indian football market, but, even at best, he is unlikely to edge past Bhaichung Bhutia’s Rs 42-lakh deal with Mohun Bagan.
Even Goan clubs, normally tightfisted when it comes to money matters, are spending lavishly. I-League champions Dempo Sports Club is spending Rs 27 lakh to retain the services of International midfielder Climax Lawrence while Clifford Miranda, who missed out last season with a shin fracture, is also in the same bracket.
But, is the unprecedented hike in player salaries justified?
‘’It’s a simple demand and supply equation,’’ says Henry Menezes, General Manager of Mumbai FC, India’s only fully professional club.
‘’There is a huge demand for top footballers in India, but the supply is poor.
In the last five years, players’ salaries have sky-rocketed, reaching an all time high,’’ explains Menezes who has cracked major deals with players during his time with Mahindra United and now Mumbai FC.
Dempo Sports Club secretary Armando Colaco nods in agreement. “The players get what they deserve. Indian footballers have come of age and deserve every penny that is being spent on them. All this talk of Indian footballers being grossly overpaid is crap,’’ he says.
“The need of the hour for clubs is to focus on the grassroots and get their own feeder system in place. If the salary hikes continue, it will reach saturation point,’’ fears Menezes.
Source :TOI
This season several of India’s better known footballers will be laughing their way to the bank as clubs get magnanimous with fat pay packets, thanks to the emergence of several new clubs and Indian football’s professional surge.
Take Sunil Chhetri, the new face of Indian football, for example. The diminutive striker has inked a one year deal with East Bengal worth Rs 38 lakh with a 30 per cent assured hike when both parties sit across the table, next year.
At East Bengal, Chhetri will not be alone in the above Rs 30-lakh bracket. Mahindra United duo of Steven Dias and N P Pradeep, both reportedly unhappy with the Mumbai champions, are being pursued by East Bengal with contracts worth Rs 35 lakh each, while captain Alvito D’Cunha has successfully renegotiated a one year deal worth Rs 32 lakhs.
“I’m not bothered or disappointed to hear that a junior player is geting more than me. I am happy for them and content that the club has appreciated my performance and rewarded me accordingly,’’ Alvito told ToI.
East Bengal are willing to offer Subrata Paul, unarguably the best goalkeeper in the country, a Rs 35 lakh season contract but the Tata Football Academy graduate is understood to be mulling over a big-money move to I-League qualifiers Mumbai FC.
Subrata is now the hottest property in the Indian football market, but, even at best, he is unlikely to edge past Bhaichung Bhutia’s Rs 42-lakh deal with Mohun Bagan.
Even Goan clubs, normally tightfisted when it comes to money matters, are spending lavishly. I-League champions Dempo Sports Club is spending Rs 27 lakh to retain the services of International midfielder Climax Lawrence while Clifford Miranda, who missed out last season with a shin fracture, is also in the same bracket.
But, is the unprecedented hike in player salaries justified?
‘’It’s a simple demand and supply equation,’’ says Henry Menezes, General Manager of Mumbai FC, India’s only fully professional club.
‘’There is a huge demand for top footballers in India, but the supply is poor.
In the last five years, players’ salaries have sky-rocketed, reaching an all time high,’’ explains Menezes who has cracked major deals with players during his time with Mahindra United and now Mumbai FC.
Dempo Sports Club secretary Armando Colaco nods in agreement. “The players get what they deserve. Indian footballers have come of age and deserve every penny that is being spent on them. All this talk of Indian footballers being grossly overpaid is crap,’’ he says.
“The need of the hour for clubs is to focus on the grassroots and get their own feeder system in place. If the salary hikes continue, it will reach saturation point,’’ fears Menezes.
Source :TOI
