Kerala Blasters set to host inter-continental tourney

KOCHI: Signs that the world is taking Indian football seriously have started to emerge as the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi gears up to host India’s first inter-continental pre-season tournament from July 24 to 28. Kerala Blasters will play host to the triangular five-day tournament that will also feature Spainish side Girona FC and Australian A-League side Melbourne City FC. La Liga ambassador and retired Spanish striker Fernando Mori-entes said it was “a historic moment” during the unveiling of the trophy in Kochi Tuesday. “Pre-season tournaments are the best preparation for a club ahead of the season and it is very important. I’m sure it will be a closely-contested tournament,” said Morientes, accompanied by La Liga India-manager Jose Antonio Cachaza, Melbourne City CEO Scott Munn and Kerala Blasters CEO Varun Tripuraneni.

Girona was one of the success stories of Spanish top-flight football last season as they finished a creditable 10th in their maiden La Liga campaign, with a stunning 2-1 win over heavyweights Real Madrid to cap it off. “It is an honour for our club to participate in this tournament. For Girona it will be the first time our team has played away from Europe since its foundation 88 years ago,” said Girona FC president Delfi Geli in a video message during the tournament announcement. Popular Australian club Melbourne City that has featured some of the game’s iconic players namely David Villa and Tim Cahill is also expected to bring along 19-year-old Australian striker Daniel Arzani, who’s the youngest player at the ongoing Fifa World Cup in Russia.