Almost-QPR Indian International Striker Set for Kansas

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New York Times/Reuters - Indian Soccer Star Close to Kansas City Deal By REUTERS Published: March 24, 2010
- CHENNAI (Reuters) - India's Sunil Chhetri is close to signing for Major League Soccer (MLS) club Kansas City Wizards, local media reported Wednesday.
- Striker Chhetri left for the United States Tuesday and was likely to sign a long-term deal with the club after trialing with them earlier this month, the Hindustan Times broadsheet reported, quoting his team mates on the national team.
- India's top player missed an opportunity to play for English second division club Queens Park Rangers last year after being denied a work permit by the British government.
- (Reporting by Sanjay Rajan; Editing by Peter Rutherford) NYT


Goal.com Wednesday 24 March 2010 - Official: Sunil Chhetri To Join Kansas City Wizards
And 'The Great American' dream is realized...

Sunil Chhetri has become the third Indian player to play in foreign shores after Mohamed Salim (Celtic) and Bhaichung Bhutia (Bury FC) and would only be the eighth Asian to ply his trade in the MLS.

After Goal.com revealed about the Delhi boy having left the Indian capital on Tuesday evening to fulfil his American dream, Sunil Chhetri has almost completed his transfer to Kansas City Wizards as an official announcement of the same would be done on Thursday evening (US time) following a medical and a P-1 visa approval. A three-to-four year deal is likely to be agreed upon.

A video conferencing has been arranged for the Indian media in Bangalore as one of the owners of Kansas City Wizards - Neal Patterson, has his company's Indian arm based in the southern city.

The Indian international shot to prominence following his hat-trick in the AFC Challenge Cup finals against Tajikistan which ensured that the Men in Blue get an opportunity to play in the 2011 Asian Cup. He has scored 16 goals for the Indian national team in 35 appearances.

The 25 year old secured a release from Dempo SC, the current league leaders in the I-League, earlier this month while the club was left to rue as to why they didn’t have a transfer fee clause injected in his contract.

Chhetri had an unsuccessful trial with Coventry last January and was also linked with QPR during the last Nehru Cup in August 2009.

"One thing we really like about Sunil is that he's a crafty player," Wizards Manager Peter Vermes said.
- "Technically he's very sharp, and he's a guy that has good attacking tendencies."
- It is indeed a proud moment for Indians and Goal.com wishes Sunil all the very best in his American sojourn. Goal.com


FLASHBACK to ALMOST QPR:

QPR's REPORTED INDIAN SIGNING, SUNIL CHETRI...REJECTED FOR PERMIT

Football Players' Association of India (FPAI)
Sunil work permit gets rejected- Here is how India's star found and lost a golden opportunity to play for an English club
- Sunil had signed a three-year contract with Queen's Park Rangers few weeks back. The club since has been working to get its work permit for him to play in England. He was informed by his agent yesterday that It was rejected by the UK government. Since India is not in the top 70 in the FIFA ranking and the British government only permits non EU players if the player is playing for the country and the country is ranked below 70 in FIFA ranking.
- Queen's Park Rangers is also partly owned by Mittal Group. The club had been following Sunil's career for over a year and they were very happy with the way he has been progressing and playing. The club CEO had also come to see him in Barcelona. Sunil though did not train initially in Barcelona but joined in the later stage. The amount of training and two matches he played were very impressive. Sunil has been on the radar of a lot of scouts over the years. His performances have been outstanding for the club and the country. It was rather unfortunate that he got injured during the end of the I- league, which kept him out for a month and half. There has certainly been lot of interest in Indian players over the past few years and it was quite a set back for him to be out in the initial part of the Barcelona tour.
- It would defiantly have been a major step forward for Indian football had his work permit gone through. Queen's Park is a massive club and are currently playing the championship league. They are one of the favourite to win the league. Indian captain says, "Sunil would surely have done well in Queen's Park. He has the ability to play even in the premiership with one or two years of experience in the championship with QPR. It's sad that Indian team does not play enough international matches and that is a big set back for our ranking as well as our development. This is also a reason why today Sunil is not playing in England."
- Asked why was this contract with Queen's Park was kept under wraps, Sunil says, "I had signed with them few weeks back and I knew I still would have had to wait for a work permit. So with lots of stories about me playing in Europe and with having a bad experience with the media in the Coventry case, I was skeptical. I am disappointed because the work permit is something that I can't do anything about, being so close and not getting it is indeed disappointing. But it's not the end of the world. I will still continue working hard for my country and my club Dempo, who have been very supportive."
- Players reaction
Steven Dias: I feel sorry for Sunil. Even I am trying to play outside India. His going there could've helped open opportunities for players like me. I am sure he along with others players will play overseas soon.
- Renedy Singh: Its so unfair to have a ranking issue. They need to look into quality of players then national team ranking. It would help if talented players like Sunil and others make it big.
- Mehrajuddin Wadoo: His playing would boost Indian football and help the game immensely. He surely has the talent to play with the best. FPAI


GOAL.COM - Failure To Get Work Permit Halts Sunil Chhetri's Move To QPR
- Indian international Sunil Chhetri would have donned the Queen's Park Rangers jersey in the upcoming season but the failure to get a work permit halted his dreams for now...29-Aug-2009
- Sunil had signed a three-year contract with Queen's Park Rangers few weeks back. The club since has been working to get its work permit for him to play in England.
- He was informed by his agent yesterday that It was rejected by the UK government. Since India is not in the top 70 in the FIFA ranking and the British government only permits non-EU players if the player is playing for the country and the country is ranked below 70 in FIFA ranking.
- Queen's Park Rangers is also partly owned by Mittal Group. The club had been following Sunil's career for over a year and they were very happy with the way he has been progressing and playing.
- The club's CEO had also come to see him in Barcelona. Sunil though did not train initially in Barcelona but joined in the later stage. The amount of training and two matches he played were very impressive.
- Sunil has been on the radar of a lot of scouts over the years. His performances have been outstanding for the club and the country. It was rather unfortunate that he got injured during the end of the I- league, which kept him out for a month and half. There has certainly been lot of interest in Indian players over the past few years and it was quite a set back for him to be out in the initial part of the Barcelona tour.
- It would definitely have been a major step forward for Indian football had his work permit gone through. Queen's Park is a massive club and are currently playing the championship league. They are one of the favourites to win the league.
- "Sunil would surely have done well in Queen's Park. He has the ability to play even in the premiership with one or two years of experience in the championship with QPR.
- "It's sad that Indian team does not play enough international matches and that is a big setback for our ranking as well as our development. This is also a reason why today Sunil is not playing in England," said Indian skipper Bhaichung Bhutia.
- Asked why was this contract with Queen's Park was kept under wraps, Sunil says, "I had signed with them few weeks back and I knew I still would have had to wait for a work permit. So with lots of stories about me playing in Europe and with having a bad experience with the media in the Coventry case, I was sceptical.
- "I am disappointed because the work permit is something that I can't do anything about, being so close and not getting it is indeed disappointing. But it's not the end of the world. I will still continue working hard for my country and my club Dempo, who have been very supportive." Goal.com


From January 2010 - Indian International Wishes Was at Loftus Road...
- I wish, I had my QPR career: Sunil Chhetri
Times of India - Marcus Mergulhao, TOI Crest, 23 January 2010,
- The one thing Sunil Chhetri would change in his life/career if he could:
- I was close to realizing my European dream when I had a three-year contract with English first divisioners Queens Park Rangers (QPR). But my dream was kept on hold after the British government denied me a work permit.
- The rejection hurts to this day and it is something that I would have loved to change, if it was in my hands!
- Being so close and not getting there is disappointing. I still have a lot of football ahead of me and, hopefully, such opportunities will come knocking again. It’s not the end of the world, I know, but that one thing means a lot to me.
- Apart from the rejection, I am content with the way my life and career has shaped up. Times of India


Times of India
We need to lift our game to beat Syria in final: Houghton- NEW DELHI: India coach Bob Houghton on Saturday said his boys will have to lift their game on Monday to beat Syria in the final of the Nehru Cup international football tournament.
- Houghton admitted that his boys lost to a team which played better on Saturday but said they can still beat Syria in the summit clash.
- "We played well today and we lost by a small margin. That too through a goal from set play," Houghton said after India sans captain Bhaichung Bhutia lost 0-1 to Syria in their last round-robin fixture.
- "Syria are a strong side. We have to lift our game on Monday to beat them. The good crowd and the good environment and I think we can beat them in the final," he added.
- "It was a difficult game for the reserve players as they had not played much in the tournament and they had to prove they are also contributing for the team."
- The Englishman lost his cool when a scribe apparently laughed at a fellow journalist trying to ask a question.
- When asked why striker Sunil Chhetri could not get work permit to play in English Championship side Queens Park Rangers, Houghton retorted, "What can I say. It is a fact that India are ranked below 70 in FIFA chart and that is why Chhetri could not get work permit. What can I say more."
- "You have to change your whole domestic structure if you want to improve. It is a pity that Chhetri could not play for QPR. He deserves to play there. If you go on continuing tournaments like Santosh Trophy Indian football will not improve," Houghton said. Times of India

EARLIER: TRIAL WITH COVENTRY

Goal.com -January 2009 - Exclusive: Sunil Chhetri To Go For Coventry City Trials -
- Indian striker Sunil Chhetri is all set to become the third Indian player to head to Europe after having being called by Coventry City for trials, which is a second division English club.
- Speaking exclusively to Goal.com, Sunil’s father, Mr.Kharga Chhetri confirmed the news saying, “Yes, he has indeed received a call from Coventry City for trials. He (Sunil) got a call on the 16th of this month after coming back from Hong Kong and the concerned authorities informed him of the trials.”
- After Mohammed Salim played for Celtic in 1937 and football icon Bhaichung Bhutia donned the colours of English side Bury FC, the Delhi lad will be the third Indian following in their footsteps if he manages to impress in the trials.
- “He was supposed to go for the trials on the 22nd but now, he shall play the match for East Bengal on the 24th. Thereafter, he shall fly to Delhi and head to England for the trials,” informed Chhetri Senior.
- The agent who has arranged the trials for the Indian international is Middlesex based Yogesh Joshee who works for Matchworld. How and when did Sunil get in touch with this agent remains a mystery and is dad doesn’t want to speak about this. “This is something which I am not much aware of.”
- So has the news of Sunil going to England sunk in yet?
- “To be honest, I couldn’t believe it but now that it is all true, I am very happy for my son. It will be great if he manages to impress at Coventry and thereby move abroad,” said Sunil’s father who had every reason to feel proud.
- At the start of this season when Sunil signed for East Bengal from JCT, he included a clause which stated that the Kolkata giants wouldn’t create much fuss if he receives an offer from any foreign club. This has been done only in the case of Sunil and not the other players who have been linked recently...." Goal.com

Goal.com Jan 30, 2009 - Footballer Sunil Chhetri not to play for Coventry
- New Delhi: Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri's dream of being the third Indian player to play in Europe will have to wait.
- Coventry's interest in Chetri seems to be over. He was on a one-week trial at the club and at some time, it appeared as though Chhetri stood a fair chance to be able to play for them eventually.
- But it has now emerged after the trials that Coventry are not keen on signing the East Bengal striker.
- Club Coventry is currently placed 14th in the Championship table and its management feels that Chhetri isn't the answer to their club's problems. Goal.com

See also:
- QPR Report
- Kansas City Chiefs
- MLS