ISL:DEN Launches Delhi Dynamos FC

In this season of football frenzy, the national capital is seeing the birth of its very own football movement. DEN Soccer Pvt. Ltd. (a wholly owned subsidiary of DEN Networks Ltd.) proudly announces the launch of the Delhi Dynamos FC, the Delhi franchise of the Indian Super League (ISL).

The name Delhi Dynamos represents the very essence of what is intrinsic to all Dilliwallahs & the beautiful game of football – a team full of energy, moving with power & constantly adapting to the changing environment around it. The anthem of the team captures the diversity & the raw energy of Delhi in a fun, catchy tune, aiming to literally be the song on every Dilliwallah’s lips.

DEN also announces its alliance with Feyenoord Rotterdam – a leading football club & academy from the Netherlands. Feyenoord’s football academy has been voted as the best academy in the Netherlands for 5 successive years. According to the CIES Football Observatory, Feyenoord is the World No. 1 in Player Development for this year’s FIFA World Cup. Including Robin Van Persie, the FIFA World Cup 2014 had 12 Feyenoord Rotterdam-trained players, the highest from any club globally. As a part of the alliance with DEN, Feyenoord will share its immense knowledge of the sport and assist the Delhi Dynamos in overall development of its team in addition to providing world class players and technical staff.

DEN aims to create a robust football ecosystem in Delhi and Northern Indian along with giving them a team they can support with pride. The alliance with Feyenoord Rotterdam marks the first step in Delhi Dynamos’ mission of building football into a leading sport across Delhi and Northern India. The team aims to get the support all football fans in North India and unite them behind one name, Delhi Dynamos.

The team name, the team philosophy, anthem and the Delhi Dynamos’ alliance with Feyenoord Rotterdam were unveiled at an event held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the home stadium of the Dynamos. The stadium is getting a brand new world-class football pitch in preparation for hosting the Delhi home matches of the ISL.

Sameer Manchanda

Passionate Football Fan, Chairman & Managing Director of DEN Networks; said:

 “Football is the world’s biggest sport and is now set to become India’s leading sport.

DEN is excited to be a part of India’s football movement. We hope the Delhi Dynamos will inject pride and passion to all Delhiites and football fans of the region. With Feyenoord Rotterdam, we look forward to building a team of world-class players who can inspire with their skills and represent our city’s hopes and aspirations. Our dream is to take India to the global football stage and ultimately to the FIFA World Cup”

Gido Vader

Head of International Relations, Feyenoord Rotterdam; said:

 “Feyenoord Rotterdam is thrilled to be associated with the Delhi Dynamos.

The Indian football opportunity is huge, and we are looking forward to assisting DEN in creating a fantastic team and ecosystem through the Indian Super League.”

DEN Networks – An Entertainment Powerhouse

DEN Networks is India's second  largest cable TV distribution company serving 13 million homes in over 200 cities. The company has been a frontrunner in the digitisation of Indian cable television and has approximately 6 million digital subscribers.

DEN’s geographic footprint spans 13 key states across India including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. The company has a significant presence in the strategic & economically important Hindi Speaking Markets (HSM) belt.

DEN Digital - DEN’s digital cable services brand is one of the market leaders in India’s digital television space. DEN Digital offers a wide choice of channels and services spanning all major genres and languages along with cutting edge value added services (VAS).

The company has soft launched its super-fast broadband internet services on DOCSIS 3.0 technology in parts if Delhi and is now in the process of scaling up rapidly in other parts of Delhi and selective cities of UP.

DEN Soccer Private Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of DEN Networks Limited and is the proud owner of the Indian Super League’s Delhi Team – Delhi Dynamos FC. With the introduction of Delhi Dynamos FC, DEN aims to become the default destination for entertainment, information and interactivity for the Indian family

About Feyenoord Rotterdam

Feyenoord Rotterdam is one of the two biggest football clubs in the Netherlands, a football crazy country that has been producing top players and teams for a long time. The club was founded in 1908. In just over a hundred years the band of brothers transformed into an internationally known and respected institute, playing in one of the most authentic and loved stadiums of Europe.

In 1970 Feyenoord became the first Dutch to lift a major European trophy, when it conquered the European Cup (which is known as the Champions League nowadays). Feyenoord was also the first Dutch club to win the Intercontinental Cup (1970) as well as the UEFA Cup (1974, nowadays known as the Europa League). In the Netherlands Feyenoord was the first club to win a ‘double’: in 1965 the Rotterdam outfit conquered both the league and the Dutch FA Cup. In 2002 Feyenoord was the last Dutch club to win a European trophy, when it bagged its second UEFA Cup. Nationally, Feyenoord has amassed a total of 14 league titles as well as 11 FA Cups.

In the last decade or so the number of players produced by the Feyenoord Academy ready for first team football has significantly risen to the point where home grown players are now the foundation of not only the first team of Feyenoord but also of the Dutch national team. No less than nine players of the Dutch World Cupⁱ squad in Brazil were raised at the Feyenoord Academy.

The secret of this success is the unique Feyenoord Academy vision, philosophy and methodology with its focus on individual development. Even with limited resources the Feyenoord Academy manages to bridge the gap between youth football and the highest level. The Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) has awarded Feyenoord for having the best youth system in the Netherlands for an unprecedented five years in a row. Feyenoord has produced more players than any other club for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil

12 Feyenoord Rotterdam-trained players made it to 3 different squads, details below:

§  Netherlands: Robin van Persie, Stefan de Vrij, Bruno Martins Indi, Jordy Clasie, Jonathan de Guzman, Daryl Janmmaat, Georginio Wijnaldum, Leroy Fer and Terence Kongolo

§  Ghana: Christian Atsu and Harrison Afful

§  Ivory Coast: Salomon Kalou