'Samba magicians' Sao Paulo return after 18 years

New Delhi, Jan 24 (UNI) Brazil's champion club Sao Paulo returns to India after 18 years to play five matches across the country, courtesy the revived Super Soccer Series 2007.

Sao Paulo had won the 2005 FIFA world club championship in 2005 and are the reigning Brazilian League champions, but the 17-member squad who were in the capital at the formal announcement of the Series today, would not have all the players from the first division side but would have a mixture of players from the first, second and junior categories.

The side will have at least six players who were members of Brazilian League winning side and one who played in the 2005 FIFA club championship in Tokyo.

They will play against Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Mohammedan Sporting, Kerala XI and JCT from January 27 to February 11 in five venues including Delhi.

The Series, which began in 1984 as a brainchild of Mr Aditya Kashyap, a top functionary of the Tata Group of companies then and Indian Football Association (IFA) president now, had brought top clubs from Europe and Latin America -- PSV Eindhoven, Bocham XI and Sau Paulo -- between 1984 and 1994.

Sao Paulo is touring the country for the third time, having come here in 1984 and 1989.

Addressing the media, IFA secretary Subrata Dutta said he had requested the AIFF to release the players who are attending a coaching camp at Goa ahead of India's Olympic qualifiers against Myanmar.

AIFF executive committee member Syed Nasir Ali said the national governing body will provide all the necessary support and help to make the series a success, though he was non-commital on the issue of release of players.

While Tata is the prime sponsor, IFA will organise the event.

NDTV Profit, Star Ananda of West Bengal and Asianet will telecast the matches.

The schedule: January 27: Sao Paulo vs East Bengal at Kanchenjunga Stadium, Siliguri January 31: Sao Paulo vs Mohammedan Sporting at JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur February 4: Sao Paulo vs Mohun Bagan at Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata February 7: Sao Paulo vs Kerala XI at Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium, Cochin February 11: Sao Paulo vs JCT at Ambedkar Stadium, Delhi UNI PDS DH ND2002