Pune FC will rewrite history when they will play Blackburn Rovers in an exhibition match. This will be the first time when a Premier League club will play against an I-League club. This historic match will take place on Friday, July 22 at 7.00 pm, at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, which is the home ground of Pune FC.
Blackburn to play an exhibition match with Pune FC
The Lancashire based side’s India tour will be the first ever trip of an English Premier League side to the subcontinent. Pune FC was not the first choice to play against Blackburn. East Bengal was approached previously but they opted out because most of their players were unavailable due to international duties and holidays.
Rovers have 135 years of history. Currently owned by Indian poultry giants Venky’s, it is one of the oldest and highly reputed clubs in England. Rovers were champions back in 1995 when Alan Shearer was at his prime. Pune FC is a newly founded club founded on 2007. Since then Pune FC has adopted a systematic approach to achieve their goal, and within this short span they have become a model club. So this will be a clash of traditional football vs the modern approach.
Nandan Piramal director of Pune FC said, “The game is a landmark encounter for Indian football fans and we are happy to be part of this treat both – Rovers and we have lined up.”
“We are equally excited and honored to be the first team from India to play this game that revolves around inscribing history. The match provides a golden opportunity for fans to not let go of this once in a life time chance.”
It is not only a great opportunity for Pune FC to rub shoulders with quality footballers but also it’s a huge occasion for the fans. There will be a lot of excitement among the passionate football supporters who follow English Premier League regularly. They won’t be missing the chance to see their favourite stars take the field. With Steve Keane managed Blackburn likely to field a strong side boasting regulars like Ryan Nelsen, Paul Robinson, Chris Samba, Michel Salgado, Morten Gamst Pedersen, David Dunn, Brett Emerton, Jason Roberts etc it promises to be an exciting match.
Tags: Blackburn Rovers, English Premier League, Football India, I-League, Indian Football, Premier League, Pune FC, Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex
