Mahesh Gawli

New Delhi: Indian football is going nowhere.

The fare dished out at the domestic level is driving fans away, as is clear from the falling attendance in the National Football League (NFL). Our world ranking has dropped to 165.

These negatives haven’t, however, affected the footballers. If club sources are to be believed, salaries of most top Indian players are set for a quantum jump in the season about to commence.

For the first time, there could be more than 20 Indian players with annual pay packets in excess of Rs 15 lakh. Last season, only half a dozen players had earned 15 lakh or more.

Calcutta, no longer the hub of Indian football, has taken a backseat in the money game as well. Goa and Mumbai are the frontrunners, reflecting their dominance in Indian football.

NFL champions Dempo, with a budget of about Rs 4 crore, are the undisputed leaders. Mahindra United are not lagging too far behind.

Last season, there was only one Indian player in Goa — Climax Lawrence — who commanded a payment of over Rs 15 lakh. The next season will see 12 in that elite category, eight of them from Dempo.

The biggest earner is likely to be Mahesh Gawli, who is reportedly being paid a whopping Rs 35 lakh by Dempo to lure him from Mahindra.

Dempo’s high-salaried list includes juniors like Balirian Rebello, Satish Kumar and Riston Rodrigues.

Srinivas Dempo’s explanation was simple. “We have to do it to retain our winning combination,” said the Dempo boss.

Mahindra United could lose players like S. Venkatesh and N.S. Manju to Mohun Bagan despite offering more than Rs 20 lakh to both.

“This is simply too much,” said Mahindra manager Henry Menezes.

Whatever Menezes has to say, Mahindra too are paying exorbitant money to retain players like N.P. Pradeep, Steven Dias, Sandip Nandy and K. Ajayan. Sporting Clube de Goa have three players in the 15-lakh bracket.

SET TO EARN rs 15 LAKH OR MORE

DEMPO: Mahesh Gawli (from Mahindra), Samir Naik, John Dias, Climax Lawrence, Clifford Miranda, Balirian Rebello, Satish Kumar, Riston Rodrigues
MAHINDRA: N.P. Pradeep, Steven Dias, Sandip Nandy, K. Ajayan
SPORTING CLUBE DE GOA: Micky Fernandes (from Salgaocar), Bibiano Fernandes (from East Bengal), Philip Gomes
CHURCHILL BROTHERS: Chandam Chitrasen
EAST BENGAL: Alvito D’Cunha
MOHUN BAGAN: Bhaichung Bhutia
Note: Five others — S. Venkatesh, N.S. Manju (both Mahindra), Mehrajuddin Wadao, Mehtab Hussain (both Mohun Bagan) and Habibur Rehman (Mohammedan Sporting) — have got offers of Rs 15 lakh or more, but are yet to decide which club to play for