"Inaugural Indian Football League"

Italy World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro has added his name to the growing list of football legends set to feature in the inaugural Indian football league.

In a competition similar to the successful Indian Premier League in cricket, some 30 foreign players and six coaches will be auctioned off in Kolkata for the league that runs February 25-April 8.

Other players expected to participate include Frenchman Robert Pires, former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler, Portuguese midfielder Maniche, Nigeria's Jay-Jay Okocha, Fernando Morientes, Hernan Crespo and ex-Argentina captain Pablo Sorin.

"We have signed seven 'icon' players for the auction and each of the six teams will have one such player with a $600,000 salary cap," Bhaswar Goswami, executive director of Celebrity Management Group (CMG) said.

CMG has signed a 30-year deal with the Indian Football Association for the league and has floated tenders for franchises, Goswami said.

"We have started with six teams this year, all in the state of West Bengal but have already been approached to expand the league to other parts of the country.

"Every team will have $2.5 million to spend in the first year. They will have a maximum of four foreigners and a compulsory six under-21 Indian players in their squad."

Was Cannavaro not only told in the summer he could never play again due to a serious knee problem ? Anyway, one more big pay-day for these golden oldies