Odisha FC's President Raj Athwal on ISL, partnership with Watford FC, Indian Football, David Villa..

The latest episode of Khel Now's 'Beyond The Scores' podcast features Raj Athwal, the President of Indian Super League (ISL) club Odisha FC. Athwal arrived in India last season, after having worked with sides like Glasgow Rangers, Coventry City and Watford.

At the Bhubaneshwar-based outfit, he is responsible for the club’s day to day operations and financial performance both on and off the field. In a detailed chat with Khel Now's Ashish Negi, Athwal sheds light on life at Odisha FC, the 2020-21 season, lessons to learn prior to their forthcoming ISL 2021-22 season, the multi-year partnership with Watford, and much, much more.

Also available on Jio Saavn and Gaana.com.

0:00 - Start
0:47 - Introduction
1:44 - Thoughts over taking over from Rohan Sharma
3:31 - Did you want to change things straight away or tried to give it some time and then changed accordingly?
6:25 - How was the transition between Rohan Sharma and you like? What is his role in the club currently?
8:43 - When and under what circumstances were the decisions of rebooting the club taken?
10:59 - Key goals for the club on and off the pitch?
13:40 - Role that Government of Odisha is playing behind Odisha FC?
15:05 - What does David Villa bring on the table as the head of Global Football Operations?
17:08 - Another season in the strict bio-bubble. Have things improved compared to the last fixtures?
18:50 - Insiders of bringing in Kiko Ramirez as the head coach
20:22 - Is Pradyum Reddy a full time part of the backroom?
21:45 - Tactics behind the transfer market approach this window?
23:00 - Finding a balance between youth and experience in a same dressing room?
24:59 - At what level does the new 7+4 rule put you because the foreigners are going to influence the game a bit less?
29:41 - What does the partnership with Watford FC reward you, which made you pen the paper?
33:52 - Any scope that makes both the clubs go beyond just a partnership?
35:15 - COVID as a challenge while trying to find a partner club
37:59 - About Raj Athwal and his experience of 26 years
45:55 - About writing the book "A British Raj: my life in football behind closed doors"
53:50 - Mr. Athwal's Roots in India
54:10 - Commercial impact of COVID of ISL outfits
59:11 - How middlemanship/agency has affected CSR investments in football?
1:04:15 - How do you look forward to Indian Football in coming years among a handful of mega events being hosted?
1:08:39 - Expansion in the structure of Indian Super League
1:12:07 - Relegation/Promotion system between ISL and I-League from commercial point of view
1:13:40 - Your take on a Reserve League?
1:14:38 - Plans of Odisha FC for the pre-season
1:16:44 - Factors that provide any ISL club a sustainability
1:20:10 - Conclusion

#applepodcasts - https://apple.co/3iliqtX
#googlepodcasts- https://bit.ly/3F8hkLS
#JioSaavn - https://bit.ly/3D0zUE4
#AmazonMusic- https://amzn.to/2ZLMJUn


#HeroISL #IndianFootball #OdishaFC #IndianFootballTeam #BlueTigers


Khel Now- https://khelnow.com
Khel Now Football Facebook Page- https://www.facebook.com/KhelNowFootball/
Khel Now Hindi- https://www.facebook.com/KhelNowHindi/
Khel Now World Football- https://www.facebook.com/KNWorldFootball/
Khel Now Kabaddi- https://www.facebook.com/KhelNowKabaddi/
Twitter handle- https://twitter.com/KhelNow
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/khelnow/

http://www.khelnowtv.com

Music:
Take Me Away by Markvard https://soundcloud.com/markvard
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/3ENFEmj
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/kBexnXxjFS0

Burst — Land of Fire [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/8QW7eYTDHGA
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/burst