Indian footballers want the much awaited Professional League Soccer (PLS) managed well so that it benefits the game in the country.
Ace striker Sunil Chettri said the presence of international stars like Fabio Cannavaro and Hernan Crespo in a district-based league will surely boost the game at the grass roots level.
Chettri, however, warned that if the PLS is not well organised then it won't contribute in the development of the game.
"The league is great, it's great that the likes of Cannavaro and Crespo are coming, but what's more important is the way the tournament is organised. If it is organised in a better way then it should help in the overall and long-term development of Indian football," Chhetri said on the sidelines of a felicitation of senior players Mahesh Gawli and Climax Lawrence on Tuesday. Gawli and Lawrence retired from international football last month.
Lawrence, a former India captain, said that better scheduling of the tournament also would have allowed Indian players to participate in the tournament.
"Playing with top players would have definitely improve the skills of our players. And the money is good as well. But then in football, a player can't be registered with two clubs. Yes, the scheduling can be worked out that way," Climax said.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das, who felicitated the two players, said the federation has requested FIFA to lift the temporary suspension from the six PLS franchises from using the Transfer Matching System (TMS), which allows a club to recruit foreign players.
Indian Football Association (IFA) secretary Uptal Ganguly met the AIFF secretary general and provided all the necessary documents. The PLS is being promoted by Kolkata-based Celebrity Management Group (CMG) and is being held under the aegis of IFA, which is the custodian of the sport in West Bengal.
Das said IFA has assured that all the clubs will abide by FIFA rules and regulations.
"The tournament had been cleared now. We are never against the tournament. We also hope that the PLS will boost the game at the grass roots. I also hope that presence of some top former international stars would help in unearthing talents at the district level and also make the tournament viable," said Das.