I-League and ISL merger possible after two-three seasons, says AIFF chief Praful Patel

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) finds itself in a tug-of-war for attention between Indian Super League clubs and I-League clubs: both tournaments spawned by the same organisation — but one which finds itself backed by big corporates, bollywood stars and Star Sports; and the other besieged by failing clubs, lack of marketing and almost negligible viewership. Legacy and history are the only two things going for the I-League. However, after a meeting with ISL organisers IMG-Reliance and I-League club representatives, AIFF president Praful Patel gave assurances that India’s FIFA-recognised principal league is not going anywhere, at least for now. “There’s no question [that the I-League will stick around]. It is the league of India. ISL is a tournament — like the Rovers Cup or a Durand Cup. It is a tournament – not a permanent league as a league of the country recognised by FIFA. I-League has to remain as the principal league of the country,” Patel stressed. [caption id=“attachment_1765785” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Legacy and history are the only two things going for the I-League. Reuters[/caption] A merger with the ISL has still been discussed and is very much in the pipelines, but it will take time. That is no reason to stop the governing body of football to not listen to the grievances of I-League clubs. “I-League clubs felt that new challenges have come after ISL’s success. This was a meeting on how to strenghten the I-League and make it more marketable. After ISL, television viewership of I-League also went up. While it may not translate into tangible benefits immediately, it shows one has had a spin-off effect on another. It will be better to take this to the right direction,” Patel said in the lobby of the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. He added that changing game timings, signing a new broadcast contract and pushing the I-League harder on social media, television and radio were all part of this marketing plan. Patel gave the example of I-League club Mumbai FC which had to play their home games outside of Mumbai because Cooperage was not ready to host matches — which made it extremely hard for the club to garner a following. The Member of Parliament has also agreed that India play their World Cup qualifier against Guam in Mumbai at the Andheri Sports Complex, subject to organisers upgrading the turf, seating and other FIFA requirements. Both the I-League and the ISL want longer formats but that is simply not possible — and this is the AIFF’s primary concern. The only solution to fix India’s football calendar is a merger, and Patel said that a committee was being set up to figure out the way forward. “We eventually want to bring  the two leagues under one common format. For this we will have a working group made up of IMG-R, I-League, AIFF and ISL representatives. They will discuss ways and means for integration. We will meet again and we will see. There is no timeframe that it will only happen next year: but maybe in two-three seasons,” the 58-year-old said. A merger would probably bring the I-League’s legacy and the ISL’s marketing prowess under one umbrella: a perfect combination for a unified league considering the clout shown by the glitzy ISL. It has been reported that two Pune clubs — Pune FC and Bharat FC — do not have the finances to continue for another I-League season. While Patel made it clear that he would like both of them to come together and stay afloat, he also warned all the players (in a future merger) that they face losing money, whether it be the ISL or the I-League. “Even ISL clubs lose a lot of money. But we need to bring in people who have to be committed to that. If somebody is committed and passionate they will come forward. It’s not the first time clubs have gone out. I would like to see clubs remain but that won’t affect Indian football in the long run.” While the AIFF has been pretty open about the merger, Patel said that it was far from ‘done’. “The I-League clubs have historically been there. Clubs are open to the merger but it would be unfair to say it’s done. There will be issues, because there are legacy clubs in Kolkata and Goa too. The ISL being a city based tournament, the question is how we integrate. Therefore this subgroup has been formed to give us an agenda.” India’s head coach Stephen Constantine and skipper Sunil Chhetri have both said that they are in favour of a unified league. When pressed over why this wasn’t getting done quickly, Patel snapped that ‘Constantine is not the custodian of Indian football.’ The only positive in these early meetings is that the AIFF, like many fans and pundits alike, have realised that a merger is the only way forward. However, it will take time — this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint.