Indian Premier League Soccer: Cannavaro, Pires and Crespo to Show Off in Kolkata

Hernan Crespo, the most expensive player in the inaugural edition of India's Premier League Soccer. Press Association

India's first ever international football league... modelled on the lines of cricket's successful Indian Premier League (IPL), is all set to kick off on March 24.

The Indian Football Association (IFA), the sport's governing body for the state of West Bengal, has confirmed that six teams will participate in the inaugural edition of the tournament.

These will be the Kolkata Camelians, the Barasat Euro Musketeers, the Durgapur Vox Champions, the Howrah Manchester, the Bengal Tuskers and the Haldia franchise (an as yet unnamed team).

Similar to the rules that govern player recruitment for the IPL, each Premier League Soccer (PLS) franchise must have one "iconic" (read as international) player and coach. These players (they may be retired... but they are still some of the biggest footballing names in recent times) will be arriving next month, as training is scheduled to start on March 3.

Check out the Full List of These "Iconic" Players and Coaches...

PLAYERS -

HERNAN CRESPO (Argentina)

Previous Clubs: Lazio, Inter Milan, Parma, Chelsea

Age: 36

Team: Barasat Euro Musketeers (signed for £ 531,139)

Biggest Transfer Fee in Career: £35m (to Lazio from Parma in 2000)

Trivia: Has scored at least one Champions League goal with each of five European teams he has played for since moving from River Plate in 1996; is the only player in Champions League history to do so.

FABIO CANNAVARO (Italy)

Previous Clubs: Juventus, Inter Milan, Parma, Real Madrid

Age: 38

Team: Bengal Tuskers Siliguri (signed for £ 524,816)

Biggest Transfer Fee in Career: €23m (to Inter Milan from Parma in 2002)

Trivia: Winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2006.

ROBERT PIRES (France)

Previous Clubs: Arsenal, Marseille

Age: 38

Team: Howrah Manchester (signed for £ 505,847)

Biggest Transfer Fee in Career: £6m (to Arsenal from Marseille in 2000)

Trivia: In 2008, Arsenal fans voted Pirès the club's sixth greatest player of all time.

JAY-JAY OKOCHA (Nigeria)

Previous Clubs: Bolton, PSG, Fenerbahce

Age: 38

Team: Durgapur Vox Champions (signed for £ 347,769)

Biggest Transfer Fee in Career: $24 million (to PSG from Fenerbahce in 1998)

Trivia: Okocha's transfer fee in 1998 was a then world record amount paid for an African footballer.

ROBBIE FOWLER (England)

Previous Clubs: Liverpool, Leeds United

Age: 36

Team: Kolkata Camelians (signed for £ 335,123)

Biggest Transfer Fee in Career: £12m (to Leeds United from Liverpool in 2001)

Trivia: Fowler was voted the PFA's Young Player of the Year for two consecutive years (1995 and 1996); a feat equalled only by Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney.

JUAN PABLO SORIN (Argentina)

Previous clubs: Juventus, Villarreal, Hamburg, Cruzeiro

Age: 35

Team: Haldia franchise (signing fee unknown)

Biggest Transfer Fee in Career: €3m (to Hamburg from Villareal in 2006; unconfirmed)

Trivia: Sorín has written a book called "Grandes Chicos" ("Big Kids" or "Big Little People") to raise funds for the building of a school and a children's hospital in Argentina.

COACHES -

FERNANDO COUTO (Portugal)

Age: 42

Team: Howrah Manchester (signed for £143,000)

Reputation: Former central defender for Portuguese national team.

SAMSON SIASIA (Nigerian)

Age: 44

Team: Durgapur Vox Champions (signed for £134,000)

Reputation: Former Nigerian international and coach.

TEITUR THORDARSON (Iceland)

Age: 60

Team: Barasat Euro Musketeers signed for £134,000)