Will an IPL-style football league help Indian football?

Most of us, me included, follow English and Spanish clubs, and some would expand their interest into the German and French leagues as well. In general, where “I support Barcelona, and I also follow Mohun Bagan now and then” is the norm in the country, one would find it very difficult to find hardcore football fans who put forth statements like “I support Mohun Bagan, and I also follow Barcelona sometimes”, unless they happen to live in places like Bengal or Goa. Got the point here? People recognize and connect themselves with what they see on TV week in week out and with what is popular.

Though the I-League is trying its best to teach the club culture to Indian fans, it has a long way to go. Even for those who recognize it, they still find it awkward to follow the present league system with as much interest as they follow the European leagues. Except for some high profile games like the Kolkata derby that attracts capacity crowds, half-filled stadiums are a common sight. Such a turn out eventually puts off the casual TV audience, who would rather watch another sport. Even first class cricket matches attract more crowds! Many critics would point the blame squarely on cricket, claiming that it has hindered the development of all other sports here.

Cricket’s immense popularity, that also translates to interest and following in the Ranji Trophy, has made sure that people connect better with teams that play under the name of their states or an organisation (for example, a cricket team named ‘Railways’) rather than a ‘club’ that includes foreigners. The IPL was successful in trying to change this mentality, at a time when the presence of foreigners in a local team was not widely accepted. The IPL changed such notions by introducing the club culture in sports to the Indian public. Foreigners received as much backing from fans as local players, since their taking to the field met the fans’ interests.

What made IPL such a hit was its format and the way teams were chosen. The idea of having a league tournament with ‘clubs’, which was copied from football, was new to India, and they added their own idea to it as well, by introducing semis and a final at the end. The IPL format prevented the classification of teams into pools, or groups, so that each team played every other team twice – one at home, and one away. Players could move from one team to another following negotiations with relevant parties, hence the concept of ‘club transfers’ was made known.

Why an IPL Style Football League is good

Then, do we feel a need for football to borrow the idea? (Ironically, IPL itself was a borrowed idea to begin with!). Can an off-season IPL style tournament be beneficial? It can, for the following reasons, and possibly more.

1. Increase in crowd attendances: Glamour sells in India, and roping in a few film stars to act as brand ambassadors for clubs would be a good move.

2. Better sponsorship could make more people serious about pursuing football as a profession, and eventually, provide a larger pool of players to choose from for the national team.

3. Can attract more players from abroad.

4. Local talent can learn from each other and expect valuable guidance from more seasoned players. This has been successful in the IPL. Many local players have admitted to having learnt from and getting inspired by the presence of a big name in the team.

What could be the ideal format and timing of such a league?

The I-League has 14 teams, and if we would have to consider more foreign players and players from the lower leagues, an IPL style football tournament could ideally consist of 16 teams, representing the popular cities of the country. Since most of Indian football following is limited to the regions of Goa and Bengal, a representation from cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, etc would be well received. Then, teams may be classified into two groups at random. Teams in a group would then play each other twice, with the winner and runner-up progressing to the semi-finals. Timing may not be an issue as the AIFF has approved a window for an IPL-style tournament between the months of May and October, that is, during the I-League off season.

Potential Challenges

1. Resistance from I-League teams

The IPL-style football league faces its biggest challenge in the form of the I-League teams, who would be reluctant to release their players for the obvious risk of sustaining injuries. This would require appropriate negotiations and compromise arrangements between the concerned clubs and I-league teams.

2. Crowd Attendance

Such low turnouts are unfortunately, a common sight

One of the intentions on the agenda of the proposed tournament is to attract full houses. Floodlit matches, film-star owned clubs, flashy home kits and away kits, intensive live coverage and analysis, presence of a few icon players, and crucially, low ticket prices can all go a long way towards clearing Indian football’s biggest hurdle – attracting crowds. The above ideas may go a long way in overcoming this challenge.

3. Infrastructure

Training facilities for footballers are in no way up to the mark of the international clubs that we follow. These clubs have youth academies and coaches to train the youngsters, as well as the main team, for fitness and skills like ball control, passing, goalkeeping and shooting. The clubs in the proposed tournament would have to rope in such individuals and set up competent infrastructure to improve overall quality.

4. Attracting Icon Players

Shane Warne spearheaded Rajasthan Royals’ first ever IPL trophy win

India, being a superpower in cricket, could easily attract the best players and coaches in the world to the IPL extravaganza. Some, like Shane Warne, even went on to become the faces of the franchises they represented. But that pulling power becomes a huge doubt when the sport involved here is football instead of cricket. Surely, we are not talking of trying to convince the Ronaldos, Messis, or Falcaos into playing in such a league, or trying to convince the Mourinhos and the Peps into managing, but an attempt may be made to gradually work towards such a situation, like by trying to lure Asian football’s best players, for instance. They may also be made the icon faces for the teams they represent. That may be realized by offering them contracts competing with the sizes of those seen in the IPL.

5. Promotion, sponsorship and telecast

To overcome the above challenges, raising and distribution of funds is probably the biggest requirement. This can be realized through sponsorship deals, in the same manner as the IPL announced itself to the public. Another aspect where we can take a leaf out of the IPL’s book is that of telecasting, as widespread telecast has more reach to the masses.

Can it be successful and benefit Indian football in the long run?

In spite of the best intentions of the IPL to provide the exposure and experience to first class players, it has been widely criticized by experts for the kind of batsmen it produces. Experts believe that the slam-bang nature and the high stakes involved make it very difficult for batsmen to patiently refine their technique, and instead they go for the easier way of slam-banging. Also, many matches have seen crucial match-winning contributions from foreign players while the rest watch on. In a sport like football, where there is a higher scope for self-expression and selfishness, a foreign trickster weaving himself through an inexperienced defense would momentarily attract gasps of amazement, but on a broader note, would diminish the contribution of his teammates.

Ultimately, the aim of the proposed tournament is to improve India’s lowly world ranking (currently 166). In the short term, it may be a success with all the glamour, coverage and stars gracing it, but it would be a real waste if no long term improvement is seen.

However, if the tournament survives through the years to overcomes the challenges, and strives towards realizing its ultimate aim of the betterment of Indian football, then why not give it a go? A summer IPL style football tournament, perhaps?