Originally published in The Times of India on May 2, 2020
Hyderabad: Forty-six years ago, the Indian youth football team created history by becoming joint champions with Iran in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Youth Championship held at Bangkok, Thailand from April 15-30, 1974.
It remains the last trophy that the country won at the Asian level.
A series of disappointing performances in competitions had led to the Indian government deciding not to grant permission for such tournaments.
However, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) managed to persuade the government to grant permission in 1974. Shabbir Ali was named captain of the squad and Prasun Banerjee the vice-captain.
Shabbir Ali said, “Other teams did not think much of us when we arrived in Thailand. All the teams used to eat together at the dining hall and other teams were dispassionate towards the Indians. But as the team played well in the group stage and continued their good performances, other teams became curious and started respecting us.”
Sharing memories of team spirit, Ali said, ”Since the tea at the hotel we were staying in was expensive, manager Dilip Ghosh used to prepare tea for the players every morning. The manager and the coaches stuck closely with us throughout the tournament and kept encouraging us even when nobody expected much from the team.”
India’s Path to the Trophy
Employing a 4-2-4 formation, India finished as group leaders with two wins in the group stage and qualified for the quarter-finals, in which they defeated Singapore 4-1 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw. In the semi-final four days later, India downed hosts Thailand 2-1.
India’s opposition in the final, Iran, were seen as favourites for the trophy, having beaten South Korea 3-0 in the semifinal. Despite the odds, coaches SA Salam & Arun Ghosh and manager Dilip Ghosh spurred the team, saying that the Iranians were taking them for granted by celebrating as if they had already won the trophy. They told us, “We have to perform well. Yeh izzat ka sawaal hai.”
In the final held on April 30, the score was 1-1 at end of regular time. Even after extra time, the match ended in a 2-2 draw and thus India & Iran jointly lifted the 1974 AFC Youth Championship trophy.
Following the victory, some junior players in the winning squad were selected for India’s senior squad and went on to represent the country in the Merdeka Tournament held later that year.
Originally published in The Times of India on January 25, 2020
Marko Stankovic delivered a last-gasp equalizer with a successful penalty-kick for Hyderabad FC in the game against Mumbai City FC on January 24
Hyderabad: Hyderabad FC held Mumbai City FC to a 1-1 draw at the Gachibowli Stadium on Friday.
The scrappy game saw both the goals coming from penalties as both sides laboured to create convincing chances. Mohamed Larbi struck a penalty for Mumbai before the stroke of half-time but saw his goal being cancelled out by Marko Stankovic’s penalty in the dying minutes of the game.
The game got off to a languid start as both teams contested several midfield duels but lacked end product.
Mumbai forward Amine Chermiti put the ball in the net after a deflection following a cross by Mohamed Larbi in the 14th minute. But the goal was disallowed as the referee deemed the ball as having gone out of play after Larbi’s cross. Moments later, Chermiti played Diego Carlos through on goal, whose shot was kept out by Hyderabad keeper Laxmikant Kattimani.
A Hyderabad attack saw forward Marcelinho attempt a hopeful long-range shot but the ball went flying above the goalpost. Mumbai sought to exploit the space near the Hyderabad box but were held off on multiple occasions by Adil Khan.
Mumbai broke the deadlock thanks to a penalty after the ball hit Hyderabad defender Nikhil Poojary’s arm inside the box. Larbi drove the ball past Kattimani’s left to hand Mumbai a 1-0 lead just before half-time.
Mohamed Larbi made no mistake from the spot as he gave Mumbai City FC the lead over Hyderabad FC in the first half
The game turned into an end-to-end affair as both teams started aggressively in the second half. Marcelinho tried to turn architect by playing other Hyderabad players through on goal but was let down by his teammates’ lack of finishing ability. Shortly after, Carlos missed the chance to put the game to bed from close-range as he made a hash of an easy shot.
Matthew Kilgallon missed successive chances to equalize for Hyderabad after he headed wide twice from two corners within a span of ten minutes.
Hyderabad avoided the blushes of a fifth-successive defeat after a foul by Pratik Chaudhari on Bobo inside the box led to the home team being given a penalty. Midfielder Marko Stankovic delivered a bullet shot past Amrinder’s left to equalize for Hyderabad at the death.
The result saw Mumbai continue to hover outside the top 4 and Hyderabad grab their sixth point of the season.
Hyderabad boy shoots individual bronze, team gold at Asian Shooting Championship
Originally published in The Times of India on November 16, 2019
Abid Ali Khan, Niraj Kumar and Harshrajsinhji Gohil win the gold medal in the team 50m Rifle Prone event at the Asian Shooting Championship 2019 in Doha, Qatar
Hyderabad: A 20 year-old boy from Hyderabad, Abid Ali Khan won the individual bronze medal in the 50m Rifle Prone junior men event with a score of 614.4 at the Asian Shooting Championship 2019 in Doha, Qatar.
Khan was part of the junior men’s team event in the same category along with Niraj Kumar and Harshrajsinhji Gohil. The team won a gold medal with a score of 1845 points.
Abid Ali Khan said, “I started my career in 2015. On my father’s suggestion, I started training 15 days before the state competition, shot a 287/300 in the junior 50m Rifle Prone category, set a state record and won the gold medal. I am a current national record holder in the big bore event (588/600 in 300m Rifle juniors).”
Abid Ali Khan wins the bronze medal in the individual 50m Rifle Prone event at the Asian Shooting Championship 2019 in Doha, Qatar
Abid’s personal coach is his father Dr. Sabir Ali Khan, also a shooter who was in the national 300m rifle team in 2013.
Khan trains on a SCATT simulator for 2 hours every day. The simulator shows the trace of how the shooter approaches the target and releases the shot. After training, Khan does light muscle training and focuses on cardio (a mix of cycling, treadmill, running), stretching exercises and lightweights in the range up to 7.5 kg. When it comes to competitions, he trains 5-6 hours a day, firing around 200-250 rounds a day in the Gachibowli shooting range.
Talking about the infrastructure of sports training in the state, Khan said, “The Gachibowli shooting range was built in 2002 and has not been maintained since then. Because of moisture and humidity, the electronic targets get spoilt and there is error in the sensors. We need proper equipment in terms of rifles and ammunition. Over 10 lakh rounds have been fired on the rifles and there is no barrel life left in them. We have to ration our ammunition before competitions.”
On his future goals, Khan said, “My goal is to get an Olympic medal for India. The event I specialize in, 50m Rifle Prone was removed from the Olympics. To help my country get more medals, I have started training in the 10m rifle and 50m rifle three position Olympic events. It is a new challenge for me because I will have to start from scratch. Suma Shirur, a specialist in 10m rifle will be training me for these two events.”
Originally published in The Times of India on November 25, 2019
Hyderabad FC goalkeeper Kamaljit Singh is an ace shot-stopper with excellent leadership skills. The 23-year old Indian goalkeeper is the captain of the team.
He is a youth product of the AIFF academy in Goa. Starting off as a central defender, he switched positions to goalkeeper. Singh had a breakthrough season after being signed by FC Pune City in 2017. In 2019, he joined ISL debutant club Hyderabad FC.
Q. How did your stint at the AIFF training academy help you?
A. Initially, I was selected in the Indian U-14 training camp, and then I was selected in the U-16 and the U-19 teams. While training for a U-19 competition, I was selected by the AIFF Elite Academy in Goa. The academy helped me develop as a player. I was signed to my first club, Sporting Clube de Goa, from the academy. Later, I was selected in the squad for 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. The academy helped me build my career.
Q. How did you make the transition from defender to goalkeeper?
A. When I was selected in the academy as an 11-year-old, I did not know much about football. During the academy trials, the coaches held tryouts for the goalkeeper position. Despite not being a goalkeeper, I gave the trial and played well. I was the tallest player in my training group, which did not have a goalkeeper. I was trained in goalkeeping and improved a lot in the following year. Later, I played for the district level and then represented the country.
Q. Having gone through all the stages in the Indian football system, what are your remarks on the state of Indian football?
A. The Indian football team has made a lot of progress in the past 10 years. Indian Super League has helped develop Indian footballers. There is work being done on the grassroots level to develop young players, which did not happen in the past. Earlier, our international rank was around 160 and now we have reached the 100 ranks range. It will take time but the team will improve.
Kamaljit Singh pulls off an acrobatic save for Hyderabad against Mumbai City FC on December 29, 2019 in the Indian Super League
Q. Despite playing well the last match, the team lost due to a penalty. As captain, how are you dealing with the team morale?
A. All of our players were not fit during the start of the season. Key players like Bobo and Rafa were injured but they have recovered now and will provide a boost to the team. Nestor Gordillo will join the squad in December.
The team did not perform well in our first match, but the coach has created a positive atmosphere and treats all players equally. When the players are motivated, it leads to good performances. The team will definitely give their all in the upcoming matches.
Q. The team’s performance has been improving after initial hitches. Do you think the team can bounce back to make the top 4 and the play-off stage?
A. We can definitely make top 4 and qualify for the play-offs. The team is yet to play 14 matches, which means there are 42 points in-hand. We have 3 points and teams with at least 30 points have qualified for the playoffs in previous seasons. If we can achieve 27 points out of the 42 points available to us, I am sure we will make top 4.
Q. What has been the impact of the coach Phil Brown? What is his coaching style?
A. Brown is an experienced coach who has in-depth insights of every player in the squad with respect to their strengths and weaknesses. The coach appreciates all players in public irrespective of good or bad performances. Later, he calls the player in, goes over his performance and provides tips for improvement. There is mutual respect between the player and the manager. In some teams, I have seen players come under pressure but that is not the case at this club. He knows the abilities of all players and is improving them.
Originally published in The Times of India on November 2, 2019
Head coach Phil Brown and forward Marcelinho answer questions in the pre-match press conference on Friday
Hyderabad: Hyderabad FC will take on Kerala Blasters in their first home match of the season at the Gachibowli Stadium on Saturday.
Hyderabad has faced a tough start to their season with back-to-back losses, losing 0-5 to ATK and 1-3 to Jamshedpur.
The team showed positive signs in the first-half of the match against Jamshedpur on October 29, moving the ball up the field well and creating goalscoring chances. Marcelinho scored the first goal for the new club, working the ball on the right-wing and firing a low shot past the goalkeeper just before half-time.
But they conceded two quick goals an hour into the match and ended up losing the game.
Hyderabad FC head coach Phil Brown will seek to build on the encouraging signs in the first half to open the team’s point tally.
Brown said, “We are on a long haul. The players have been putting their bodies on the line. Some of our biggest players like Bobo and Rafa are on the stands. If you take the best players out of any team in the world, they will struggle to perform well. I think Robin Singh is doing a great job with Marcelinho playing alongside him. Over the two games, we did not get to the final third with equal quality and we are working on that.”
They will look towards ISL veteran Marcelinho and midfield stalwart Marko Stankovic to fire them past Kerala Blasters.
The team is reeling from an injury crisis, with forward Bobo, forward Giles Barnes, defender Rafa on the sidelines. Additionally, midfielder Nestor Gordillo is unavailable due to suspension.
Hyderabad FC players during the warm-up session in their previous tie against Jamshedpur FC on October 31. Jamshedpur beat Hyderabad 3-1
Meanwhile, Kerala Blasters come to the match on the back of a 1-0 loss to Mumbai City FC on October 24.
Despite several chances for both teams, neither of the teams managed to break the deadlock for the majority of the match.
Kerala finally fell to a goal by Amine Chermiti in the 82nd minute. Forward Bartholomew Ogbeche attempted to equalize for Kerala late in the game but his close-range shot was saved by the goalkeeper.
Kerala will look towards star forward Ogbeche and midfielder Sergio Cidoncha to guide them to victory against Hyderabad.
Eelco Schattorie, Head coach, Kerala Blasters said, “The last match against Mumbai City FC was a painful loss. We are not playing the football I want yet. Hyderabad FC are struggling with injuries and we are not that much worse. There is no psychological advantage over Hyderabad despite their losses. Both teams are hungry for three points.”
Kerala Blasters will be missing defender Sandesh Jhingan for the rest of the season due to injury, while midfielder Mario Arques is injured as well.
It remains to be seen whether Hyderabad FC will recover from a disappointing start to win their first game of the season or Kerala Blasters will come back from their narrow loss to Mumbai City FC.
Originally published in The Times of India on October 10, 2019
Phil Brown will lead
Hyderabad FC in their debut season in the Indian Super League. The 60-year-old
Englishman’s achievements include leading Hull City to their first ever Premier
League season in 2008.
As a player, he played
right-back for clubs like Hartlepool United, Halifax Town and Bolton Wanderers.
He last coached ISL
club FC Pune City in the 2018-19 season, joining them in December and leading
them to the 7th position with 3 wins in 6 games.
Q.
You have coached teams in English leagues, led Hull City to English Premier
League and are now coaching teams in India. What would you say are the major
differences between the two countries’ leagues?
Phil Brown: Indian
clubs have foreign players and Indian players who have different strengths.
Whereas Indian players are hard workers who will run through the wall, foreign
players rely more on technique. At Hyderabad FC, we are aiming to teach the
best qualities of Indian players to foreign players and vice-versa so that the
team develops as a unit. I think the pressure of management is equal in all
walks of football. What I want to do is to put myself under pressure to win
something in India. I am here to try and create something. I have been given a
platform to do it in the form of the Hyderabad FC team rising like a phoenix
from the ashes of FC Pune City. I thrive on the pressure I am putting upon
myself to win something.
Q.
Given that this is a debut season of the club, what are your targets?
Phil Brown: If I can get a full stadium, it means I am doing something right. The team needs to perform better than FC Pune City last year. We need to win more than half of our games. If we achieve that, we will be near the top of the division. The ultimate aim is to be competitive and win something this season, whether it is the ISL title or the Super Cup.
Q.
What tactical philosophy do you want the team to follow?
Phil Brown:
I want the team to play possession-based football, but that will depend upon
the type of opposition we face. For example, we will face ATK in our first
match, who like to play counter-attacking football. They will try to hit us on
the counter. Sometimes, you have to be cleverer than the other coach,
especially when you come across coaches from different countries whom you have
not met before. I have met every coach I have ever played against in England
during my years there. Though I have met English coaches like Steve Coppel and
John Gregory here, I have not met coaches from Spain or other countries.
Sometimes, you have to
get the information from the players. The Hyderabad FC players are very
tactically aware. For instance, Marcelinho has been reading a book on Pep
Guardiola, which shows how his mentality is going into coaching and management.
He knows Indian football better than I do as he has been here for 4 years. Guys
like Marcelinho and Robin [Singh] are my cohorts. I have been relying on them for
information.
Q.
What formation are you going to employ with the team?
Phil Brown:
We have planned for different formations during the preparation stage of the
6-7 week long preseason. You have to get the players’ mentality right with
regards to the kinds of formation we are likely to face and the kinds of
formation we are likely to play.
During the last season
with FC Pune City, I played with three centre-backs. It was a 3-4-1-2 formation,
but we drifted to the 3-5-2 when Marcelinho was not in the team. On a couple of
occasions, we switched to a back four in a 4-3-3.
You have to work as a
group of players with that kind of
mentality. We put word through the captain and pass messages about the changes
in formation. You need a total buy-in and understanding from the players, only
then a change in system can work.
Hyderabad FC has
centre-backs that can play in a back four formation and a back three formation
as well. At the moment, I am favoring a three centre-back formation, though I
might go for four at the back at any stage.
Q.
Having experienced the Indian football system, what do you think are the steps
required for Indian football to progress?
Phil Brown: I am in communication with Igor Stimac [Indian
national football team coach] because we have three players representing the
country. I want to try and make it more, if I possibly can. That would be a
sign that we are making a good progress at the club. If we can increase the
number to four to five players, that means we are playing the right kind of
football. I have seen the Indian team under Stephen Constantine and have
followed the change in management. There has not been a complete change of
mentality and attitude. Constantine made some progress, but now Stimac has a
good opportunity because a platform has been set.
I
would like to think that the system in India should result in ISL and I-League
joining forces one day. I think that has to be the way forward, because we play
Super Cup at the end of the season with teams from ISL and I-League. If teams
are capable of doing that on a weekly basis, then they are capable of competing
in a league.
Last year, some clubs pulled out of the Indian Super Cup. For an outsider, it does not look good. You have to be united with regards to how the national team does. If there is internal wrangling, it does not do the national team any good. You have to be joint in your thinking, and if that means ISL and I-League joining forces, then so be it. If we can have a 20-22 team tournament, it will be a great competition and the national team will benefit from it.
The Indian Super League welcomed a new club to
its fold on August 27, 2019. The new club, Hyderabad FC replaced FC Pune City,
which was going through operational difficulties.
Hyderabad has a rich football history, with 8
players from the city making to the national team which qualified for the 1954
FIFA World Cup.
One of the most successful coaches of the
Indian national team, Syed Rahim was from Hyderabad. He led the Indian team to
a gold medal in the 1951 Asian Games, the1962 Asian Games and the fourth position
at the 1956 Summer Olympics.
The team is co-owned by Vijay Madduri, an IT entrepreneur and Varun Tripuraneni, who was CEO of Kerala Blasters from 2017 to 2019, and led operations of Chennaiyin FC from 2015 to 2017.
Squad analysis
All eyes will be on the seasoned players of the league such as Marcelinho, Marko Stankovic, Adil Khan and new star signing Bobo to spur Hyderabad FC in their debut season.
In Kamaljit Singh, the team has an
able shot-stopper who has good leadership skills. The 23-year old Indian
goalkeeper was named the captain of the team. Singh had a breakthrough season
after being signed by FC Pune City in 2017.
He is a youth product of the AIFF Academy in Goa. Starting off as central defender, he switched positions to goalkeeper. He was trained by Croatian coach Tomislav Rogic at the King’s Cup’s preparatory camp in New Delhi.
Adil Khan is an experienced player who can play as a defender and a
defensive midfielder.
Starting off his career at Sporting Clube de
Goa in 2008, the 31-year-old Indian defender made 74 appearances for the club
across 5 years from 2008 to 2013. In 2014, he joined ISL club Delhi Dynamos and
made 7 appearances for them across the season.
He suffered a major injury in 2014, but recovered
and joined ISL club FC Pune City in 2017. Khan made 37 appearances for them
across 2017-2019. During the 2018-19 season, he worked with current Hyderabad
FC coach Phil Brown.
Khan has been praised for strong tackling
skills, being committed in duels and his ability to play across the field, with
strong performances at defensive midfielder, defender and right-back positions.
He has made 183 tackles, 53 interceptions and 133 clearances in 42 ISL appearances.
Marcelo Leite Pereira, or Marcelinho started
his career at Spanish giant Atletico Madrid’s B team in 2006.
The 32-year-old Brazilian winger joined ISL
club Delhi Dynamos as a free agent in 2016. He scored 10 goals in the season,
winning the ISL Golden Boot.
After 7 months at Brazilian club Avai FC, he
returned to the ISL, signing with FC Pune City. He reached the semi-finals
while playing for the team in the 2017-18 season.
Marcelinho has been noted for his ability to utilize the wing spaces to help teams move the ball forward. Though primarily a left-winger, he can play as a right-winger and an attacking midfielder as well. He has scored 24 goals and supplied 16 assists, along with creating 90 goalscoring chances in 46 matches in ISL.
Marko Stankovic began his career at Austrian club DSV
Leoben in 2003. He joined Austria Wien on a free transfer in 2010. He scored 23
goals and provided 15 assists in 126 games from 2010 to 2014. He helped the
team win the 2012-13 Austrian Football Bundesliga.
In 2018, the 33-year-old Austrian midfielder
joined ISL club FC Pune City on a free transfer, and made 15 appearances across
the season, working with current Hyderabad FC manager Phil Brown.
Stankovic has been described as an experienced
midfielder who is creative and energetic, has good ball control in the
midfield and is adept at decision making during the game. He can play as a
defensive midfielder as well.
He has created an impressive 41 chances in his 23 matches in the league.
Nestor Gordillo began his career at the youth academy of
Tenerife in 2008.
Gordillo joined the B team of Atletico Madrid
in 2016 and made 20 appearances for them across the 2016-17 season. In 2017, he
was signed by Cornella, where he played 22 games in the 2017-18 season and won
the 2017-18 Copa Catalunya.
The 30-year-old Spanish midfielder was signed
by I-League club Chennai City FC in 2018. He played a key role in the club’s
2018-19 I-League title win by netting 9 goals and providing 6 assists in 19
games.
In July 2019, the AIFF banned him for 4 months until December 2019 and fined him Rs. 50,000 for negotiating a transfer with ISL club FC Pune City. He was instructed to pay compensation of three months’ salary to Chennai City as well. Gordillo filed an appeal to reduce the ban but was unsuccessful. He will not be available to play for Hyderabad FC for the first 8 matches of the season. The earliest he can make an appearance is the match against ATK on December 21.
He has been recognized for his ball-playing skills, strong vision, ability to deliver defence-splitting passes and propensity to score goals even as a midfielder. He delivered 44 key passes in Chennai City’s title winning season.
Deyvison Rogerio Silva, or Bobo started
off his career at Brazilian club Corinthians in 2003.
He joined the Turkish club Besiktas for a
transfer fee of 2 million euros in 2006. At Besiktas, the 34-year-old Brazilian
striker scored 95 goals across 222 games from 2006 to 2011 and helped the team
win the 2008-09 Super Lig. He is the all-time record goalscorer for the club.
Bobo joined the Australian A-League club
Sydney FC in 2016. He helped the team win the 2016-17 A-League title. He led
the team to the 2017-18 A-League Premiership title with 27 goals in the season,
winning the A-League Golden Boot in the process.
Bobo has been described as a goal machine, and has earned praise for his ability to contribute in the build-up play and deliver assists. He is adept at contesting aerial duels and can deliver through balls as well.
Hyderabad FC will face a tough start to the
season, with 4 games in a span of 11 days. Their first two games, versus ATK on
October 25 and versus Jamshedpur FC on October 29 are away from home and will
pose a challenge to the team.
Head coach Phil Brown has stated that his
ultimate aim is to make the team competitive and win a trophy this season.
It remains to be seen whether the new team is
able to return Hyderabad to the pinnacle of Indian football.
Owners:
Vijay
Madduri (IT entrepreneur, was CEO of Incessant Technologies) and Varun
Tripuraneni (CEO of Kerala Blasters from 2017-2019, heading operations of
Chennaiyin FC from 2015- 2017)
Matthijs De Ligt headlined the European football transfers this week. Speculation was rife that the Ajax defender would move to Juventus and the transfer finally happened with the player signing a 5 year contract for a transfer fee of 75 million euros.
Noteworthy football transfers this week:
July 20, 2019
Carlos Vinícius: The 24-year-old Vinicius joined Benfica from Napoli for a transfer fee of 17 million euros. He signed a 5 year contract until 2024.
July 18,
2019
Matthijs De
Ligt
Ajax to
Juventus
Ajax defender Matthijs De Ligt has joined Juventus for a
transfer fee of 75 million euros.
The 19-year-old has signed a five year contract until 2024
with a release clause of 150 million euros, which will be valid on the start of
his third season with the club (June 2021).
Juventus managed to beat Barcelona, Paris SG and Manchester
United to sign the highly rated defender.
The Ajax defender made history as he became the youngest ever
captain to start a European final when the club lost the UEFA Europa League against
Manchester United in 2017. Football analysts have praised De Ligt’s passing
ability, his aerial prowess and have described him as an adept ball playing
defender.
The fee is just 5 million euros shy of the 75 million world record fee for a defender,
which was paid when Virgil Van Dijk transferred from Southampton to Liverpool
last year.
“Maurizio Sarri (Juventus manager) was one of the reasons that I wanted to join here. I’ve heard a lot of good things about him and I like his footballing philosophy and how he prepares his defence,” said De Ligt.
Mario
Hermoso
Espanyol to
Atletico Madrid
The Espanyol defender has joined Atletico Madrid for a
transfer fee of 25 million euros plus €4m in add-ons, and 20%
of the sell-on fee.
The 24 year old has signed a 5 year contract until 2024.
The player is a youth product of Real Madrid and played 52
games for the club’s youth teams between 2015-17. La Liga club Espanyol signed
him for 4 million euros in 2017, where he played 59 games between 2017-19.
Hermoso has been praised for his ability to clear the ball
out the defence, deliver long balls and threaten during set-pieces.
A statement on the official Atletico website said, “We welcome an extraordinary player, who, despite his youth, has experience and a promising future.”
Christopher Nkunku: The 21-year-old player joined RB Leipzig from Paris SG for a transfer fee of 13 million euros. He signed a 5 year contract until 2024.
July 17,
2019
Kieran
Trippier
Tottenham
to Atletico Madrid
The Tottenham defender has joined Atletico Madrid for a
transfer fee 22 million euros.
The 28 year old has signed a 3 year contract until 2022.
The right-back is a youth product of Manchester City. He joined Burnley in 2011 and made 185 appearances for the club between 2011- 15.
Trippier has been praised for his ability to deliver pinpoint
crosses, take good free-kicks, deliver long shots, ability to hold on to the
ball and being effective in ground duels.
“I feel pride and it’s a great challenge. I want to learn the
language, that’s my first priority – to communicate with the coach and my
team-mates,” Trippier said.
“He (manager Diego Simeone) was a massive part of my decision to come here. He is one of the best managers in the world,” he added.
Sebastian Haller: West Ham made a club record transfer by signing the 25 year old for a 40 million euros transfer fee that could rise up to 50 million euros. Haller signed a 5 year contract until 2024, with a club option of a 1 year extension.
July 16,
2019
Abdou Diallo: Paris SG strengthened their backline by signing the 23 year old from Borussia Dortmund for a transfer fee of 32 million euros. Diallo signed a 5 year contract until 2024.
July 15,
2019
Fabian
Delph
Manchester City
to Everton
The Manchester City player has joined Everton for a transfer
fee of 8 million euros.
The 29 year old midfielder has signed a 3 year contract until
2022.
The player is a youth product of Leeds United and played 54
games for the club between 2006-09. After playing games for 134 Aston Villa
between 2009-15. He joined Manchester City in 2015 for 11.5 million euros.
Delph has been lauded for his passing ability, ball control,
dribbling and effectiveness in ground duels.
Manager Pep Guardiola often deployed him as a left-back
during his stint in Manchester City.
“I’m at an age now where I am probably one of the most experienced players, so hopefully I help my teammates. I’ve come here with ambitions to win things,” Delph said.
Oliver
Torres: Sevilla signed the 24 year old Torres for a transfer fee of 12
million euros. He signed a 5 year contract until 2024.
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