So what’s new in Indian foot ball? A franchise- based tournament, which has been making news since last year with its promise to make the star turn for foot ball in the country, has now come alive and promises to thrive after the team owners’ list was officially released recently.

   The team owners have to pay a base price of Rs 12 Crore for one year for the franchise rights, with Rs 2 Crore being invested for development of the game at the grass root. Sachin Tendulkar is one of the biggest names in the list, having bagged the Kochi franchise along with majority- stake holder Prasad V. Potluri of PVP Ventures. Tendulkar who will also be the brand ambassador of the Kochi franchise, finds Sourav Ganguly on the opposite side of the ring, with the “ god of off- side” winning the rights for the Kolkata team. He has the support of industrialists Harshavardhan Neotia, Sanjiv Goenka and La Liga club Atletico Madrid.

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