I-League 2020-21: 'I want to take the club to the ISL,' says Sudeva FC president 

Sudeva FC are preparing for the biggest season in their history as they are set to take part in their first-ever I-League campaign.

Club co-founder and president Anuj Gupta exclusively spoke to Sportskeeda about their preparations for the historic season.

Commenting on Sudeva FC's long-term plans, the Cardiff University alumnus said:

"Obviously, in the long term, I want to take the club into the ISL because most of the players who are playing for the national team are playing in the ISL, so if my club stays in I-League, we would lose a lot of many good talents to ISL clubs because everyone wants to represent India."

When asked about his expectations from the upcoming I-League 2020-21 season set to be held in Kolkata, the Sudeva FC founder said that he is looking at the season as more of a "learning year" in which he will be able to judge whether players from his residential academy can step up and deliver at the top level by finishing in the top half of the league table.

Talking about the core philosophy of the club, he said:

"We try to play from the back starting from the goalkeeper. Possession football on the ground with players who are good with their feet would be a great game for the supporters."

Anuj Gupta also targets selling 10,000-15,000 tickets in every match in the I-League 2021-22 season, provided that everything goes back to normal. He feels that a potential derby with Delhi Football Club, backed by Minerva owner Ranjit Bajaj, could further boost the ticket sales in the 2021-22 season. He said:

"A derby happening at the national level is great for the game and the capital city, it adds a flavour and spirit to the game and helps football as a sport."

While talking about the squad's preparation for the new season, the 38-year-old denied rumours claiming that Kabir Kohli, a 20-year old Indian goalkeeper playing in the Tercera Division in Spain, will join Sudeva FC for the historic season. He feels that the towering goalkeeper will benefit from spending time in Europe instead of playing in the second division of Indian football.

Xativa FC squad (Photo: Sudeva FC)

Anuj Gupta is also the co-owner and president of CD Olimpic de Xativa, a Spanish fourth-division club, and plans to keep infusing the squad with young Indian players in the near future.

He also feels that associations with foreign clubs come with a lot of benefits for Indian football. Sudeva FC has an association with Norweigian top-tier club Aalesunds FK, which allows Gupta to create a pathway for players from the I-League reserve team to the senior squad to a Spanish fourth-tier team, ultimately leading to an opportunity to become a part of a top-tier club in Europe.

Gupta said:

"They help us in terms of scouting, coaching, training methods, and they will also give young talents in India a chance of playing in the top leagues in Europe."

Sudeva FC joins a list of clubs that will be playing in the I-League with an-all Indian squad. The club president feels that this will be a real test for the Sudeva FC academy players. He said:

"We could target to bring in ISL players who are not getting enough minutes in the January transfer window but a young Indian squad has a chance to impress with no crowds. The scoring ability of players would be the biggest concern for the squad."