What’s the story?
The All India Football Federation might have given the strongest hint yet that I-League champions Aizawl FC will not feature in India’s top league. The federation’s general secretary, Kushal Das, believes the Indian champions not playing in the top flight won’t amount to a disaster for the club.
“Look, even if Aizawl FC do not play in the country’s top league, it doesn’t mean that the road ends for them,” Das was quoted as saying to DNA.
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“They can still play in the second division, and continue to grow their club there. We will show even the second division matches live on television, and not just the top league. So, Aizawl FC need not lose heart even if they are not part of the league,” he added.
The context
The talks regarding a merger between I-League and ISL have been long and protracted, but it is expected the retooled league could be up and running from next season. Aizawl’s historic I-League triumph has threatened to scupper the plans of AIFF and IMG-Reliance, who are keen on making ISL the top league of India. It is believed that only Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Bengaluru FC among the I-League clubs stand a chance of playing in the revamped league, leaving champions Aizawl in a limbo.
The heart of the matter
With three seasons of ISL already having been played, the next step for the administrators of the league is to make it the full-fledged top tier of Indian football, with only a handful of the wealthy I-League clubs to join the eight ISL clubs in the new league. As such, Aizawl’s title win has put the AIFF in a tricky situation, something that is worsened by the fact there is no promotion and relegation in ISL. If Aizawl are forcefully relegated, we might not see them playing top-flight football for quite a few years.
What’s next?
For the champions to play in the second division is pretty unthinkable, but that is a real possibility in India if things go according to the AIFF’s plans. Aizawl have their eyes on the Federation Cup — which starts on 7th May — for now, but they will surely watch out for further developments regarding their top-flight status. Their owner, Robert Royte, has even threatened legal action if Aizawl are forced to play in the second division.
Author’s take
The AIFF’s current plight is akin to a Catch-22 situation, where they are damned either way. IMG-Reliance wants the ISL to be the premier Indian league, which is also the AIFF’s primary agenda. However, to keep the reigning champions from defending their hard-earned title solely because of matters related to money clearly defeats the spirit of the beautiful game, which is a poor reflection of Indian football’s custodians and their state of affairs.
