Not desperate for foreign tieup: Dattaraj

Panaji: The Goa franchise of the Indian Super League (ISL) is in no hurry to stitch a foreign tie-up.
Franchisees like Delhi (Feyenoord), Pune (Fiorentina), Kolkata (Atletico Madrid) and Chennai (Inter Milan) have lost no time in accepting the handshake and a helping hand offered by influential clubs around the world. But while FC Goa is not short of suitors, it realizes that not all of them may have either the best interest of Indian football at heart.
“We are currently assessing our weakness and strength. All clubs offer expertise for a fee and it’s easy to tie-up after paying a million (dollars). But we are looking to partner with a top club which has the long term interest of India,” said FC Goa president Dattaraj Salgaocar.
Dattaraj, along with the other two co-owners, had visited Manchester earlier this year and had explored the possibility of a collaboration with the English Premier League champions. There were in talks with Liverpool FC and Ajax Amsterdam too but both sides could not agree that they were getting the best deal.
“We are looking at what is best for us and willing to wait. It’s not that we are in a desperate hurry. The partner has to give us the right support and must also be willing to put in the money,” he said.
Co-owner Shrinivas Dempo conceded that a foreign tie-up is unlikely to happen in the inaugural season
“There is enough knowledge between the two groups (Dempo and Salgaocar) accumulated over the last five decades.
“The market too is not really a problem. The biggest brand that we have today is Goa. We believe a meaningful tieup will add a lot of value to the club. We are looking at the right club. It may not happen in the first year but I am sure it will happen,” said Dempo.