The exodus of Goan clubs highlights the mess in Indian football

Indian football sad
This has been yet another acrimonious year for Indian football

A fiery Peter Vaz shot straight from the hip. “People at the AIFF, have never even kicked a ball. What will they know of football? Their office bearers come and go. It’s we the clubs, the football who will stay on.”

As World Football celebrates the game in the Europe and America with the two biggest continental tournaments viz. Euro and the Copa America, the same game in South Asia, is dying every day. Choking itself in its own puddle.

Football in the Indian sub-continent is one of the hottest topics in recent times.But at the moment, not for the right reasons.

The Indian footballing scene in recent years has turned into a crumbling mess which the All India Football Federation has been desperately trying to patch up. The innocuous moments in recent time included a harrowing defeat at the hands of Guam, an AFC Cup game where the host club was not able to sell tickets, a team relegated from the I-League despite not finishing at the bottom and now the latest blow as two Goan clubs viz. Salgaocar and Sporting Clube de Goa, who have been at the forefront of the Indian football scene have now pulled out of India’s top-flight football league.

The “roadmap” has now become the roadblock. And steps which were supposed to take the sport in this country to the next level has now become a bitter pill to swallow, a mirage which now seems implausible.

“Winter is here.” The phrase rings true not only for the Westeros in HBO’s famous Game of Thrones, but also for Indian football.

The Proposal

When the AIFF and its media partners rolled out their vision for the future a month back, it took Indian football by storm. The proposals included making the Indian Super League, the premier event, an automatic promotion in stature with no scope for relegation. It also included an expansion plan but for only two teams. And that too based on their ability or willingness to pay a franchise fee to the AIFF.

The structure also saw the formation of two lower leagues and where most of the existing I-League clubs will end up. This was a relegation of mass proportions. And so we might see clubs relegated to the second tier of Indian football even after putting up a credible show.

That left the legacy clubs of India in a tangle. There were fiery words fired from all corner of the country. Right from the East coast (from the two Kolkata giants East Bengal and Mohun Bagan) to the deep South (Goan clubs like Salgaocar, Dempo and Sporting Clube de Goa) were up in arms not only mocking the plans but challenging its viability.

The Goan blow

Many theories were going around the footballing circles in this country about how the clubs and administration would take to the “merger” plans that in a true sense looked more of a hostile takeover. And what could they do?

The answer was emphatically, “A LOT”. Salgaocar and Sporting Club de Goa did what many thought would not be possible, something neither the AIFF nor any other thought they would dare to. Although there were threats pertaining to clubs shutting down or pulling out of the league, not many thought they would carry them out. But, they did exactly that.

If the roadmap felt like a slap across the face for the I-League clubs, the Goans’ response was a kick in the guts for the Football Federation. It now leaves them with only seven teams in the I-League with Dempo also threatening to quit.

A breakdown of the highest order

This was perhaps a nightmare that nobody envisaged. But, it’s here. And here to stay. AIFF seems genuinely lost and even to a point totally lackadaisical towards their approach to the perils of the I-League and its clubs.

Even in the letter expressing surprise at the exit of the Goan giants, it merely states the obvious without any hint as to what they might do to resolve the situation. Another close look at the letter and you may not even be surprised anymore. The opening words “AIFF and its media partners” says it all. Subtly, but below the belt.

“We have already given them suggestions. We wanted participation based on merit and not on ability to pay franchise fees,” quips Adlear D’Cruz, the current General Secretary of Salgaocar Football Club.

“We have had five meeting amongst ourselves since the proposal came forward. We have mailed them and there has been no reply. And sadly we have to come to this decision. Before pointing to our faults, they should look in the mirror. They have failed to even come forward and have a meeting with us. Is this how a legacy club should be treated?” asked a furious D’Cruz.

And not many can really blame him. Whilst, AIFF can be applauded for taking initiatives to bring forth the potential of the sport, their behaviour towards clubs that has sustained the game for decades has been appalling.

“We at Salgaocar have always been committed to Indian football and have been doing it without any financial motive for years. Now, we will focus on nurturing the young talent in Goa,” concluded Salgaocar’s main man.

Whist, their threats fell on deaf ears, that wasn’t the same reaction when FC Goa, threatened to pull out from the ISL owing to the penalties inflicted on them. A clear indication of where the priorities lie?

Praful Patel
Will AIFF’s methods eventually pay off or are we heading towards disastor?

Own goals aplenty

One thing that has to be given to AIFF, is that they have sought out every possible avenue to gather steam for the sport. But, somehow they have ended up scoring an own goal. Whether it was from the national team’s perspective (about whom even Prime Minister spoke a few days back) or the handling of any difficult situations. Whether it be handling of Mohun Bagan’s ban or trying to encourage corporate by giving them direct entry, it’s been a case of pure madness ensuing.

10 clubs have shut down operations the last decade. And even more alarmingly, of the 10, 5 have done so in the last eight months.

“The AIFF has failed the country. 70% of the state boards don’t even have offices, and they say we have misunderstood,” rages a furious Peter Vaz, the chairman of Sporting Clube de Goa, who was one of the most vocal members in the meeting when the AIFF invited club to take in their presentation of the way ahead.

“The clubs get nothing. Not enough money or say in the things. People who don’t anything about football and trying to run the sports. They have sold the Federation to Reliance.

“They want us to build fanbases like the Kolkata giants. But Kolkata is 100 times bigger than Goa and that’s why you get 100 times bigger crowd there. They are just looking for needles in a haystack. They want to pinpoint our failures and not say anything about the positives we have done all these years.

“Ask the President if he has ever congratulated any club personally on winning a trophy. Ask him about the condition in which the U-16 and U-18 games are played,” rammed home Peter Vaz in an outburst.

The Sporting Clube de Goa chief also blasted the federation for the way Praful Patel and co. have been running the Federation. He claims that the subordinate bodies i.e. the state associations have no say in the running, which he says is borderline illegal. Mr. Vaz also believes there should an equal the clubs and the subordinate states in running the body.

So what now?

If Dempo also pulls out from the coming I-League, the league will be diminished to six clubs. That would surely be nothing but a shame. Thus, for many, this might feel like exploiting the game rather than uplifting it.

This somehow look all terribly planned. Trying to fit in square peg in round holes. Making things happens not because they are supposed, but because they want it to happen even of it goes against all odds and wishes. The challenge to make the ISL a credible entity or just playing a dummy ruler?

The AIFF has to look at the future of not only the I-League, but also the ISL. For the Indian Super League, to become FIFA recognised, it has to be stretched across five months. It can no longer be just a short outburst of a footballing carnival anymore.

It has to engage the crowd over the long haul. A slogan of “Let’s football” won’t do anymore. They have to engage them, make them come to the stadium week after week, which will be a challenge of the highest order.

Kushal Das wants the clubs to stick around and wait for the club’s turn to participate in a more expanded competition which will feature 15-16 teams with relegation and promotion clauses. But, that he says will take nearly 7-8 years to achieve. But, how will the clubs sustain themselves till then? Just like the AIFF, if they take the practical route, it would lead them to shut down their operations.

Indian football as it is now is on shaky grounds. Indeed, ‘Winter is here’!

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Edited by Staff Editor