What’s the story?
The rumours of the possible merger between the ISL and the I-League from the next season itself have been doing the rounds for a while, but nothing substantial had materialised so far.
However, I-League CEO Sunanda Dhar, in an interview to leading Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika said, “The transfer window opens from June, and the clubs will have to reach to a decision by then. Mohun Bagan loans most of their players to the ISL, so they will need to make a call now.”
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The AIFF had made it clear that the proposed merger would see the big three clubs, i.e., Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Bengaluru FC, feature in the top tier along with the 8 ISL franchises.
However, many had raised queries as to how a league could be structured randomly without consent from the existing clubs. The fact that there would be no promotion or relegation system in the league had irked many, but it seems the governing body has gone a long way in order to procure consent from FIFA.
The heart of the matter
According to various officials, even Nita Ambani, the chairman of IMG-R, has personally spoken to the board members of the Bengal giants and assured them that the ISL would not survive without their support.
Given the fact that the U-17 FIFA World Cup is scheduled in October this year, the two leagues could find it tough to accommodate fixtures of both leagues. The onus is on the clubs to either stick by the old format or accept the new roadmap being developed by the AIFF.
What’s next?
With the I-League in full swing now, one does not expect the clubs to reach a consensus till May, at least. A two-league system has several pros and cons, and it may look like a catch 22 situation to many.
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On one hand, participation in the ISL would ensure greater revenue and exposure for these clubs, on the other hand, they may lose out a large number of local audience who may feel alienated by the glamour and glitz of the tournament. Also, the dilemma of whether the teams will retain their players or not needs to be solved.
Sportskeeda’s take
While a merger does look interesting on paper, in reality, it is far more complicated. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan will not only have to take a decision based on their best interests, but also keeping in mind the interests of Indian football. It remains to be seen which way the wind finally flows!
