Looking at possible implications of having no foreigners in I-League

No more players like Sony Norde to light up the league?

After the I-League workshop conducted by the All India Football Federation in Delhi, it was observed that the constituent teams were unhappy with the 'marquee player' rule and some clubs also proposed to remove foreigners altogether from the league.

For the upcoming 2015 season, the AIFF had asked clubs to sign at least one marquee player and the criteria for the same was that for a player to be considered ‘marquee’, he must have plied his trade in one of the top 30 leagues in the world, or a player who has represented his nation, which is ranked above 70 and he should also be less than 32 years of age.

The clubs were not happy with the fact that they were not given at least a year's notice about this rule and with the age cap set at just 32 years, it is difficult to recruit quality players who will be willing to play in the I-League and then pay them huge salaries for just a five-month period. Another issue is that due to the delay in the announcement by the AIFF, some clubs had already signed the four foreign players required and would now be required to purchase another one who would meet the criteria set for marquee players.

It is widely believed that the marquee player rule can be abolished by the end of next season, along with which there could be a removal of foreign players altogether. In an unprecedented move, we may see only Indian players turn out for clubs in the I-League. Let's look at what the pros and cons of such a move can be.

Going to the positive aspects first, this move can be just what the national team needs in order to build a strong and young pool of talent for the future. The clubs will lay more focus on their youth setup and academies, and look to scout new talent at school and college levels. Younger faces will emerge and that will enable the manager of the national team to choose from a bigger crop of players.

On the other side of the coin, there are a few negatives that may also arise. The biggest losers from such a situation will be the top I-League clubs who shall have to take part at Asian level without any foreign players in their squad. Or, they would have to sign foreign players solely for continental games, which would be highly impractical.

This move could also mean that the quality of football on offer will be diluted, as foreign players add spice to the game and bring with themselves experience, which can be passed on to the Indian players too. A drop in the quality of the game would mean that the AIFF will have to face great difficulties in marketing the already suffering I-League, and it would stand losing out on the small number of viewers it already has.

Whatever the decision be, it is bound to have some repercussions on the game in our country. We hope that the AIFF comes to the right conclusions after hearing what each club has to say. They can probably have a trial run first and see what comes of it, and make a decision accordingly.