21 teams, 219 games on the cards
The 10th Dialog Champions League (DCL) football championship, featuring 21 teams and 219 games will begin from this weekend. The competition which will run for 21 weeks will be held at 16 venues throughout the country which includes Prison ground in
Tough days will be ahead of Air Force SC, who are the defending champs as the trophy will be on offer once again with elite teams vying for it - Pic by Amila Gamage
Anuradapura, Seevalie ground in Ratnapura, Jayatilleke Stadium in Nawalapitiya, German-Sri Lanka Friendship ground in Matara, Maligapitiya in Kurunegala, Don Bosco and Maris Stella grounds in Negombo, the Vernon Fernando Stadium in Kalutara, the Colombo City Complex, the Kelaniya Football Complex, the Baddagana Football Complex, the Albert Peiris Stadium in Wennappuwa and the CR and FC ground at Longdon Place in Colombo.
Joining the elite group of football teams in Sri Lanka for this year’s DCL championship will be Division II winners Thihariya Youth SC and losing finalists Crystal Palace SC, who were promoted from the second tier. Others in the top league include defending champions Air Force SC, New Youngs, Negombo Youth, Blue Star, Kalutara Park, Upcountry Lions, Police SC, Java Lane, Matara City, Colombo FC, Nandimithra, Solid SC, Saunders, Renown, Navy SC, Don Bosco, Army SC, Super Sun and Pelicans.
Interestingly three-time winners of DCL Ratnams have pulled out from this year’s competition citing lack of funds to maintain the much renowned domestic football club of Sri Lanka. Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL), chief Ranjith Rodrigo at the launch of this year’s DCL stated that Ratnam officials have made a written request to forego the 2014 season and had stated that they will return to the competition next year.
Rodrigo further during his speech expressed his gratitude to Dialog for the valuable sponsorship and continuation of the same for the tenth year. He said that fulfilling the challenges in conducting the DCL in a semi-professional manner with FIFA style countdown is a demanding task for FFSL.
The FFSL adamantly stated that the responsibility of the visiting team, match officials, spectators and all those who are present at a game will solely come under the hosting team. The FFSL will make use of its highly trained and well experienced match commissioners who will be present at all venues. Their reports will be studied thoroughly and action will be taken accordingly by the FFSL Disciplinary and Competition Committees.
“It is the duty of the clubs to keep the rhythm of the game for the benefit of players, fans, sponsors and football in general. Referees are human too. They do a commendable job despite a handful of mistakes which are obvious in a fast moving game. The FFSL has implemented the Code of Ethics and all those who violate will be severely penalized. We must adhere fair play in the championship,” he stated.
Unlike the recent years, the winner of the DCL 2014 will be strictly determined by points. In the recent year’s the competition was played under two different groups of 10 teams each where the top four of each group qualified for the quarter-finals. Football experts named the league championship a comical error for including a knockout stage, which changes the whole character of the competition. But FFSL will be putting a fullstop to the knockout stage, which will be held under a different competition according to Rodrigo.
“Having a knockout stage is where a wrong picture was given to the long run exercise, where a load of effort has been put on to. This year will be the beginning of an era where Sri Lankan football will be turned into semi-professionalism before reaching its full throttle. Our aim is make the game fully professional. This is one of the few initiatives on the way,” Rodrigo added.
The DCL will also serve as a channel for the best footballers to vie for a place in the national squad, whose first international assignment will be the South Asian Football Federation Championship. Over 200 match officials including FFSL referees, match commissioners, mar-com officials and security coordinators have been assigned to manage the DCL 2014 in a professional manner.
A grant of Rs. 500,000 to each club, excluding the services teams and the two newcomers, was presented by FFSL. The winners will receive Rs. 750,000 and the handsome trophy while the runners-up will receive Rs. 500,000 as cash reward. The overall third and fourth finishers are guaranteed with cash rewards. – NA