Feyenoord pedigree to help Delhi Dynamos polish their skills

NEW DELHI: The Capital’s football-loving people will have something more than the new European season to look forward to with the launch of Delhi Dynamos — the Delhi team in the Indian Soccer League (ISL) — on Thursday.

With the interest in the game growing in the country — Indians were among the top five tweeters during the World Cup — DEN, the company that owns the Dynamos said, the time was right to make the ISL move.

With the ISL organisers making it mandatory for the franchises to spend ` Two crore on grassroots development in the first year, the Dynamos also announced a tie-up with Dutch Club Feyenoord Rotterdam, whose 12 trained players, includ- ing Dutch star Robin van Persie, took part in the World Cup in Brazil.

The club, which was voted the best in the Netherlands for five years on the trot, will have a strategic partnership with the Dynamos, unlike Atletico de Kolkata, where Spanish club Atletico Madrid are the co-owners.

Feyenoord will share knowledge of the sport and assist the Dynamos in the overall development of its team in addition to providing players and technical staff. The Dynamos will also get a young Feyenoord player playing for them in its maiden season.

Meanwhile, Dynamos are yet to sign a marquee player from a pool of former European stars despite the extended deadline having passed. The event kicks off on September 18.