Mumbai :Former multiple-title winning Real Madrid and Spanish international Michel Salgado has signed a three-year deal to play in Premier Futsal, becoming the latest global star to confirm participation in the world’s first-ever multi-national futsal league ahead of its inaugural season.
Salgado, part of Real Madrid’s star-studded ‘Galacticos’ line-up that included Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham, has won four La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League crowns and an Inter-Continental Cup during his career.
The defender, who after a decade at Real Madrid moved to Blackburn Rovers for a three-year stint in the English Premier League, made 53 appearances for Spain in various international tournaments.
His signing marks a major coup for Premier Futsal, a private and semi-professional league promoted by Xavier Britto of Indev Group, with former Manchester United star Paul Scholes, FC Porto and Barcelona Champions League winner Anderson Lu’s de Souza better known as Deco and global futsal legend Alessandro Rosa Vieira, fondly known as Falcao, already confirmed.
Michel Salgado said, “Futsal is an extremely underrated sport. It has been the breeding ground for some of the biggest names in football the world over and I’m glad Premier Futsal in India is creating a platform that can showcase the sport and give it its due. I think the talent the league has managed to draw is fantastic with not just futsallers like Falcao but also career football players like Paul Scholes and Deco taking part.
“It’s almost nostalgic in a way to go up against these players again and I’m really looking forward to reliving the old days and reigniting those old rivalries, this time on the futsal court.”
Premier Futsal is the first league in the world to feature a multi-national line-up combining the legends of football and futsal.
PTI