People from Europe, America, UAE interested in buying PFL franchises

KARACHI: People from Europe, America and the UAE have also shown immense interest in purchasing the franchises of the Pakistan Football League (PFL) which is expected to be held in spring next year.

Global Soccer Ventures (GSV), which will hold the first-ever professional league in Pakistan, is happy that the brand is getting popularity like the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the cricket marquee event.

“It’s wonderful to see such a massive interest in football franchises,” GSV CEO Zabe Khan has said.

“We plan to devise a strategy to connect the franchises owners with Europe’s elite clubs. In the league European players will also be there,” Zabe said.

The tenders have been issued for football franchises and people have made their bids. It has been learnt that a section of the PSL franchises owners has also shown interest in purchasing the PFL franchises.

Sources in the GSV told ‘The News’ that after careful evaluation of the bidders final decision regarding the franchises sale would be made.

There will be six franchises, Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore, Quetta, Islamabad and Multan or Faisalabad. One will be chosen from the last two cities famous for football.

The GSV has already entered into a 15-year partnership with the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF).

Sources said that the value of a single franchise would be 1.5 million US dollars for ten years.

It has been learnt that the event will be formally launched in near future. And it is highly likely that the event will be held in Karachi soon after the PSL 2022 season which will have ended by February 24.

The GSV CEO Zabe Khan is also expected to meet President Dr Arif Alvi in Islamabad in near future to get the federal government’s backing for the inaugural league.

It has been learnt that the work on manufacturing a portable stadium, which will be laid here at Karachi, is in progress.

The venue will have seating capacity for 8000 spectators. After six years of conflict among various factions of football community in the country, the PFL is a relief to the national footballers who have suffered a lot.