Inter Kashi Launched in Partnership With Three European Clubs, Eye I-League Participation – News18

Inter Kashi, the first professional football club from the state of Uttar Pradesh, was launched at the hotel in Varanasi on Thursday.

The club’s base of operations will be in the holy city of Varanasi, which is also one of the oldest living cities in the world.

RDB Group of Companies tied up wit Spanish top-division side Atletico de Madrid, along with Inter Escaldes of Andorra and Gerard Pique-owned FC Andorra. This is Atletico de Madrid’s third involvement in Indian football, after partly owning Atletico de Kolkata and a partnership with Jamshedpur FC.

The All India Football Federation had invited bids for participation in the second division of the Indian football pyramid – the I-League – from the 2023-24 season.

Inter Kashi had submitted a bid, along with four others, earlier this month and is waiting on a decision by the AIFF.

Atletico de Madrid in a statement said: “The club is managing the final permits to compete from September in the second division of Indian football, the I-League, while it is already drawing up the first team squad.”

“Our club will contribute its long experience in the world of football in the start-up of this new club, both in the sporting part of the first team and in the development of grassroots football with the creation of the Bharat Athletic Academy, since the talents from this state must look to other areas of the country for their football development as there is no club at the national level,” Atletico de Madrid added.

The Inter Kashi coaching staff will be led by Carlos Santamarina, who has been working in India for four years as head of the project at the Atletico de Madrid academy in partnership with the TATA Group, as well as managed at Jamshedpur FC.

Atletico de Madrid also announced that a Bahrat Athletic Academy will be set up to develop the club’s grassroots football.