The Indian football season will now be more in line with what Europe experiences - Former Chennaiyin FC head coach John Gregory

Former Chennaiyin FC (CFC) head coach John Gregory feels the increased number of matches and multiple competitions from the 2022-23 season onwards would bring Indian football in line with what European football experiences.

According to him, the decision to extend the domestic football calendar to nine months will benefit coaches, players, administrators and fans alike.

Gregory, who guided Chennaiyin FC to their second Indian Super League (ISL) title in the 2017-18 season, said:

"For coaches, players, and club administrators, having the season stretched out over nine months is a much better format. It will be tremendously exciting for everyone to be involved in a long-term project.

"As a coach or player, I would be incredibly excited about playing the season spread across nine months. It'll give you good recovery time after each game and with that should come better performances from your players and obviously more time for coaches to implement their ideas and philosophies on the training pitches."

Gregory spent two-and-a-half seasons at Chennaiyin FC after joining the club in 2017. The Englishman has lauded the growth of Indian football over the years, saying:

"The season will now be more in line with what Europe experiences. I have no doubts about the future of football in India. I myself have seen it evolve since 2017. The game has captured the imagination of the people incredibly well.

"Ever since the ISL was introduced in 2014, world-class players have come to India and paraded their talents. The season expanding to nine months is a bold step."

Apart from the ISL and the I-League, clubs will also feature in two cup competitions, the Durand Cup and the Super Cup. Gregory feels that the additional opportunities will boost the development of players, fostering a winning mentality.

The former Aston Villa and Queens Park Rangers manager said:

"More silverware on offer! Your career is often judged on how many cups, titles, or caps you won during your time as a player. So more tournaments mean more chances of medals. As you develop as a young player, you want to be involved in these big challenges.

"Playing in the semi-finals and finals is important for your development as we saw last season in the ISL with players like Rohit Danu, Akash Mishra, Liston Colaco, and Kiyan Nassiri. They would have gained ample knowledge and experience playing in the kind of environment they had last season. They'll also understand that when you are in professional football, winning is the only thing that matters and you have to do everything in your power to make sure that happens,"

Gregory believes the longer season will give coaches more opportunities to invest in youth and unearth new talent for Indian football. He cited the example of his compatriot Owen Coyle, who in his second season at Jamshedpur FC (JFC) won the League Shield with a youth-heavy squad. He said:

"Owen Coyle last season at Jamshedpur was superb in developing unknowns in his squad and giving them opportunities to play in the ISL. Young and unknown players cannot ignore the fact that football can give them a wonderful chance in life to be somebody. Narender Gahlot, Rehenesh TP, Ricky Lallawmawma, Boris Singh Thangjam, and Ritwik Das suddenly became first-choice for Owen because they all took the chances that the coach gave them."

The former England midfielder also added:

"Head coaches are now starting to trust domestic players. More and more players are developing early and taking their chances to play the Beautiful Game. Many parents are now discovering that professional football can give their son or daughter an amazing life.

"Education is still extremely important, of course, but five to six years of playing in the ISL and the Indian national team can set you up for life financially if you're prepared to dedicate yourself to the game, work extremely hard and take your chances."