India finds itself in an unique position in world football at the moment; starting November, there will be two national leagues running parallel to each other. The AFC has agreed to the All India Football Federation’s suggestion that the Indian Super League and the I-League both should have slots in continental competitions run by the Asian Football Confederation.
While the I-League champions will get a slot in the AFC Champions League play-offs and should they fail to win that, get a guaranteed group stage slot in the AFC Cup, the ISL champions are now eligible for entry to the AFC Cup via the play-offs.
Here’s the Field’s quick explainer on the two league system and other questions you may have had:
Where does the slot for the ISL come from?
The spot that the Federation Cup earlier received is now being offered to the ISL. Prior to this, there had been a suggestion for a Super Cup among the top four ISL and I-League teams. The winners of this Super Cup were expected to get the continental slot. Sources within the AIFF seem to indicate that the Kolkata clubs did not agree to this in time for the proposal to be pushed through to the AFC.
How does player distribution happen between the two leagues?
It is anticipated that there will be a draft for the Indian Super League, with teams able to bid from a pool of players. But it must be noted that nothing has been confirmed till date, with club and federation sources denying that the draft itself is set in stone. The ISL franchises may even be given the option of retaining some players.
If the ISL has a draft with the players who opt for it, the I-League may have a draft of it’s own although AIFF secretary Kushal Das has stated that a concrete road map can only be established for the I-League after a meeting with its constituent clubs on the 29th.
What next for the leagues?
Should they run parallel to each other, which looks highly likely with each passing day, the I-League is set to lose out to the ISL in terms of spending power.
It is very important to note that in terms of this two-league system continuing, all parties concerned are clear that it is a temporary solution and not a permanent one. With the national team focused on qualifying for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, a solution must be arrived at and quick. This is a step in the right direction, as the AFC’s diktat ensures that there is some clarity going forward.
What are the immediate issues at hand?
For the ISL, it is imperative that they take a decision on whether to persist with a draft or an open market system earliest by the first half of July. Bengaluru FC’s CTO Mandar Tamhane is absolutely clear on the fact that his team for the upcoming AFC Cup knockout round needs to be finalised and registered before the end of July, also allowing for a lengthy pre-season before they face a formidable North Korean side 4.25 SC.
For the I-League, clubs have been promised by the AIFF that there will be an improvement in broadcast and marketing standards. They have also demanded a hike in the compensation that the AIFF offers them. The meeting on the 29th will go a long way in clarifying the stance of clubs like Shillong Lajong, Churchill Brothers and the Kolkata giants East Bengal and Mohun Bagan.
What are the major changes and will they stay that way?
The ISL is now a 10-team tournament, with Bengaluru FC and a Tata-owned team joining the eight existing teams. Bengaluru FC’s joining was contingent on the fact that the ISL would get a continental slot, and that seems to be the case which will please the two-time I-League champions and runners-up of the 2016 AFC Cup.
The I-League may be set to welcome up to three new teams, along with second division champions NEROCA FC. The conflicted ones are the big two from Kolkata, with club sources indicating that they had launched a serious bid to join the ISL, which failed due to the stumbling blocks surrounding the franchise fee and the ‘one club one city’ rule.
In Indian football, hardly anything is permanent and they may have resigned themselves to playing in the I-League this year but don’t be surprised if they launch fresh bids to join the ISL in the near future.
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