The 10th Dialog Champions League will kick off on 26th July, with 21 teams participating making it the largest Premier tournament in Sri Lanka. The media briefing about the tournament structure was held on the 23th July at the Taj Samudra.
Dialog as it was in the last 9 years partnering FFSL, will be the sponsor strengthening the bond with the football public. The Champions League is the foremost Football competition in any Federation worldwide. The Dialog Champions League will consist of 21 teams and the 210 matches will be played at 15 venues on home and away basis.
The inclusion of Solid SC from Anuradhapura, Pelicans SC from Kurunegala, City SC from Matara, Up Country Lions from Nawalapitiya and Super Sun from Beruwala will add excitement in these regions, in addition to the traditional venues of Kaluthara, Wennapuwa, Negombo, Kelaniya and Colombo attracting thousands of football fans relishing the keen competition and champion brand of football.
The tournament also includes for the first time the Division I Champions Thihariya Youth from Gampaha and runners-up Crystal Palace FC from Gampola. It is sad to note that one the foremost clubs in Sri Lanka, Ratnam FC has withdrawn from the tournament due to financial constraints.
The penetration planned for the DCL2014 in multiple outstation locations, will create an opportunity for young footballers from the provincial regions to play for their town clubs and become superstars in their communities and even in Sri Lanka.
Last year Air Force SC won the Champions League beating Renown SC 1-0 in front of a record 20,000 spectators at the Vernon Fernando Stadium in Kalutara.
Presenting the features of the DCL2014 Competition Director and Chairman of Marketing Football Federation Sri Lanka, Trevor Reckerman,“We want to take football far and wide. We are playing matches in Matara, Nawalapitiya, Anuradhapura and in the future to Jaffna as well.
“I don’t think any other sporting tournament does this much coverage around Sri Lanka. With the tournament going through to different parts of Sri Lanka we have the potential to reach millions of spectators. We want to make each match an event.”
DCL2014 will include lucrative price money as well as many different awards. Champions of the tournament will receive LKR 750,000 while the Runner-up will receive LKR 500,000. Also the third place will receive LKR 150,000 and fourth place LKR 100,000 . Furthermore there will be the Golden Boot and Golden Glove awards.
The President of the FFSL Ranjith Rodrigo, “It has been a fruitful partnership with Dialog for a decade and I hope it will continue. This is the stage for the football talent to showcase their abilities and I hope they will take this opportunity.”
“I know clubs have financial difficulties, as I myself is also a owner. So this year I will be giving LKR 500,000 to all the 21 teams to assist with their development.”
The DCL 2014 with over 500 players will include players from Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Morocco and this will offer an opportunity for Sri Lankan players to combine well for never before seen matches in all venues. The competitiveness and enthusiasm have increased among the DCL clubs this year that clubs have some Japanese players and also the Up-Country Lions have a Serbian coach.
Speaking on behalf of Dialog Axiata, Head of Brand and Media, Harsha Samaranayake, “Dialog has been part of Sri Lanka football for a decade and will continue to do so.”
“Dialog are the official sponsors of the national cricket and rugby team and is also closely associated with schools cricket, rugby league, rugby referees, volleyball, golf, disabled sports and many more.”
He also mentioned that Dialog will be partnering FFSL in the future as well, which is a great sign for the future of football in Sri Lanka.
The Dialog Champions League 2014 will also serve as a channel for the best in the country vie for selection to the national pool as the new Serbian coach Nikola Kavazovic and the National selectors will be on a talent hunt to reconfigure the National Squad for the SAFF tournament as well.
