What’s the story?
East Bengal handed in a request to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Monday, highlighting their intention to pick up the ‘Invitation to Bid’ (ITB) document for ISL, one that was shared by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) last week. The bidding party must fulfil the criterion mentioned in the ITB and submit it on May 25, 2017.
Debabrata Sarkar, a high-ranking East Bengal official, has requested a meeting with All India Football Federation (AIFF) General Secretary Kushal Das on 22nd May to deliberate upon the possibilities of East Bengal being given the opportunity to be a part of the ISL.
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An AIFF official revealed that although East Bengal have requested an extension of the deadline, it is unlikely that the Kolkata giants’ demand will be met at this stage.
The context
Southern giants and two-time I-League champions Bengaluru FC were the first I-League club to come forward and state their keenness of being part of the Indian Super League (ISL) from next season onwards. Now, East Bengal have also joined the bandwagon.
Also read: Bengaluru FC eager to play in ISL and leave I-League, pick up bid document
The heart of the matter
The AIFF has been contemplating a superior status for ISL in Indian football. Currently, the tournament is held for three months and its winners don’t receive any incentive of Asian qualification like I-League winners do. Therefore, the governing body has been exploring possibilities of staging ISL for a longer duration as well as allowing a continental spot for the winners of ISL.
Recent developments suggest that ISL is on an expansion drive and there will be more teams added to the competition this season.
What’s next?
Prospective team owners from 10 cities have been invited by the FDSL to put forward their claims for taking part in the ISL. Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cuttack, Durgapur, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Siliguri and Thiruvananthapuram are all in the fray to be represented in the Indian Super League.
Between one to three teams are expected to be included in the 2017-18 ISL season. However, should any representative from Kolkata get a chance to be a part of the ISL, they would have to play their home games outside the City of Joy for two consecutive seasons.
Author’s take
East Bengal’s decision to pick up the ITB document highlights the fact that unlike their fierce local rivals Mohun Bagan, the Red and Golds are keen to join up with the big hitters of ISL, where the financial stakes are much higher. That said, their plea for extension of the deadline suggests that the club are keen to join ISL, but they might not have the resources to make that happen this time round.
