An influx of footballers to India from Australia has highlighted changing fortunes as the Indian Super League flourishes and the A-League h...
An influx of footballers to India from Australia has highlighted changing fortunes as the Indian Super League flourishes and the A-League hits lean times during the coronavirus pandemic.
Just two Australians played in the Indian Super League last year, but 10 were among the 11 teams when the competition got under way in a bio-secure “bubble” in Goa last week.
Non-Australian A-League players have also made the move, including English striker Adam Le Fondre – last season’s second highest goal-scorer, with Sydney FC – along with German defender Matti Steinman and Aaron Holloway from Wales.
Much of the change is down to money, with the A-League salary cap expected to drop by up to 30 percent next season following a fall in broadcasting revenue.
It has made the ISL, which previously attracted a smattering of fading stars, a more attractive proposition for Australia-based players.
One of the players to head to India is Australian defender Dylan Fox, 26, who left the Central Coast Mariners in September to join Northeast United in Guwahati.
“With all the uncertainty around the A-League at the moment, it was a good opportunity to head overseas and test myself in Asia,” Fox told AFP.
“The A-League has stagnated in the last couple of years anyway and the other boys probably...
