- Former Premier League stars will take part in the newly-launched Baller League
- Gary Lineker has been confirmed as a team manager in the competition
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Gary Lineker leads the most notable names taking charge in the newly-launched Baller League with a host of former Premier League stars and celebrities involved for the start of the new football tournament.
The competition has skyrocketed in popularity since being launched in Germany at the start of the year by Mats Hummels and former Arsenal star Lukasz Podolksi and is now set to kick-off in England and the United States.
Described as ‘a new form of forward-thinking and hyper-exciting football’, Baller League is a competitive six-a-side football league that combines the traditional game with new rules.
The league will feature 12 teams consisting of 12 players with games played over two 15-minute halves and a mix of ex-professionals and YouTube celebrities heavily involved.
Lineker – who will leave Match of the Day at the end of the season – has been named as a team manager in the competition, with fellow presenters Alan Shearer and Micah Richards also taking on coaching positions.
The trio will also be joined by former Chelsea and England captain John Terry, ex-Arsenal trio Jens Lehmann, Robert Pires, and Freddie Ljungberg, and Real Madrid icon Luis Figo.
Gary Lineker leads the most notable names taking charge in the newly-launched Baller League with a host of former Premier League stars and celebrities involved
Lineker – who will leave Match of the Day at the end of the season – has been named as a team manager in the competition
YouTuber and entrepreneur KSI (pictured) has been named as Baller League UK president
Meanwhile, YouTuber and entrepreneur KSI has been confirmed as president of the UK League, while fellow viral star IShowSpeed will lead up the US version.
Games are held weekly with teams playing in an indoor environment and will have to get used to rules which will change during each half of play.
New rule changes are focused on creating excitement, with some of the features including: three-against-three format, goals scored from the back two thirds of the pitch (behind the offside line) count double and 1v1s starting from behind the halfway line with no hands allowed.
Another unique selling point of the competition is that it will be streamed live on Twitch where it is hoped success in Germany with an average of three million spectators per matchday can be replicated.
Social media star Chunkz will be the livestream hosts each week with the action set to get underway in March next year and the tournament finishing in May where a winner will be crowned.
Former Chelsea and England captain John Terry has also been named as a coach in the competition
Alan Shearer will also take on a coaching role in the Baller League alongside Lineker
It is yet to be confirmed what team Lineker will take charge of with competing players still waiting to be finalised ahead of trials taking place.
Trials for players willing to take part will be held across London and Manchester, with former academy players, street ballers, free agents, futsal players, recently retired professionals or semi professionals able to take part.
Hailing the invention of the new league, Baller League’s UK president KSI said: ‘I have high hopes for what this league can bring to the sport.
‘We’re bringing a different style to football, a different energy to the normal and showing a different level of entertainment to the sport. Very exciting times ahead!’