Bayern Munich offers help for improving Indian soccer

Kolkata: Top German club Bayern Munich, that came here to play a charity match for the benefit of Kolkata`s

street children, on Tuesday offerred assistance for improvement of football in India. India needed a long term coaching by experts from the world`s top soccer playing nations to improve its standard, said Paul Breitner, member of the World Cup winning German team of 1974. Breitner will lead Bayern Allstars team to play the charity match against East Bengal Allstars tomorrow at the Salt Lake Stadium. Among the Bayern Allstars players would be four other World Cuppers -- goalkeeper Raimond Aumann, defenders Andreas Brehme, Hans Pflugler, Stephen Reuter -- in different years during 70s, 80s and 90s. Breitner said India could benefit in soccer if the country employed the latest technique for enhancing players` endurance and capability besides exchanging ideas and knowledge from the world`s top soccer playing countries. He said India needed long term promotional strategy, best training for local coaches and players in Europe and South America and import of experts. Not only technique and creativeness of players, but improvement of infrastrucure was needed for development of the game, the former mid-fielder told reporters. Andreas Brehme and Hans Pflugler, who were sitting beside Breitner, said they did not know much about Indian soccer but expect a good match against East Bengal. The money to be collected from ticket sales would be spent for the welfare of street children, being sponsored by Towards Life Foundation, a non-profit organisation. Asked about who he thinks is the most talented among the present generation players, Breitner named Lionel Messi of Argentina. "However he needs better players around him if Argentina wants to win the World Cup next time," he added. PTI