As draft documents go, it is heavy on promise for All India Football Federation (AIFF) and clubs in the Indian Super League (ISL). It pitches alignment with global best practices – and that alone should be why AIFF and clubs must go for it – but then gives another reason: compliance with the new draft constitution.
What’s not to like?
So, what’s not to like? A lot as it turns out. No promotion and relegation in ISL for the next 10 years for one. Apart from what’s-in-it-for-us for I-League clubs, it is not in line with what was proposed and accepted in 2019 by Asia’s apex body. And since, as part of the proposal, it is AIFF’s responsibility to deal with Asian Football Confederation and FIFA, I am guessing the onus will be on the federation to explain why.
After allowing promotion for two seasons, ISL proposes to be a closed league again, the difference being that this time it will also be India’s top tier competition.
The argument that I-League clubs have not helped improve the standard is complicated. True, Mohammedan Sporting hit a new high in abjection and have been beset by financial problems but Punjab FC also qualified through that route and have shown they can compete. In their second season, Punjab FC finished above two teams that have been in ISL way longer.
Even after parachute payments, 10 of the last 15 teams promoted to the Premier League went down the next season but that has not got the world’s most watched league to stop relegation. For the second successive Premier League season all three promoted teams have gone down. Surviving in the top tier is difficult – Nottingham Forest needed 57 signings and some £125m to make an impact – everywhere but how can clubs not be allowed to dream of doing what Ipswich Town (1961-62), Forest (1977-78) and Kaiserslautern (1997-98) did? All three won the top league in the season they were promoted.
And if off-the-field problems are the ones that worry those who conceived ISL, well, it would be difficult to look beyond what hit Hyderabad FC in 2023-24. Financial problems led to the club being hit with transfer bans and a host of players leaving months after head coach Manolo Marquez did.
Clubs formed with ISL have had protection from relegation for 11 seasons. Granted, it takes time to grow the culture but how much have they done to suggest they are on the right path and would need insulation for another 10 years?
Joint-venture: Are clubs able?
The plan to form a company to run ISL is in line with global best practices and the document lists the Big Five in Europe and Asian countries doing it. As far as I know, the document or its contents was shared with clubs before being sent to AIFF. And that they had agreed in principle with the proposals. But should six ISL clubs failing the Premier 1 license test not come in the way of them being co-owners of ISL? More so, because this was hardly the first time ISL clubs flunked licensing tests.
Should FC Goa, NorthEast United, Odisha FC, Hyderabad FC, Kerala Blasters and Mohammedan Sporting therefore be allowed to own a stake in a joint-venture company despite not meeting all the licensing requirements? ISL double winners, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Mumbai City FC, Bengaluru FC, Jamshedpur FC, Chennayin FC, Mumbai City FC and East Bengal made the grade after paying fines. The only club to have ticked all the boxes? Punjab FC.
While it is indeed best practice to allow clubs to have a say in the running of a competition that is about them, what is not clear is why that company should also get to own rights for national team matches in perpetuity? As per the draft document, national team matches will be the property of a company where AIFF, technically sole guardians of all India teams, has only 14% stake.
What was AIFF doing?
The document was sent to AIFF in March. It was read out in the next executive committee meeting but why were copies not circulated? Wouldn’t that have given the members a chance to better engage with ideas meant to shape the future of ISL, India teams and AIFF’s responsibilities? Also, when it was known to all that the current agreement ends in 2025, why was the conversation over the future of AIFF-FSDL relationship stalled after it began in 2023? It was sub-judice then, it is sub-judice now.
And if AIFF has an answer to Bhaichung Bhutia’s question, we are yet to hear it. They went, listened and had pizza, Bhutia said in his latest salvo on AIFF. Accepted in this form, AIFF could have a lot to answer for.
For now, though reports of ISL not happening may be somewhat exaggerated, as are claims that clubs are not working the transfer market, but it is likely the 2025-26 season will not start in September. That has hit the Durand Cup. Clubs have pulled out of the world’ third oldest tournament because it makes no sense to start pre-seasons as usual when the start of the season is likely to be delayed.
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