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As ISL is dawning to its 5th season here is the list of 5 things happening in the lead-up to the season that shows positive signs for the league and for Indian Football as a whole.
#1 An overwhelming Pre-season
If at all anything shows brighter signs for the state of the game in the country it has to be the pre-seasons held by major teams this year.
Starting from the La Liga world coming to the country with teams like Girona and Melbourne City FC gracing the Indian fields, teams like Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC have gone the miles to train in the best facilities of Spain.
Bengaluru and ATK have also marked new heights with Bengaluru playing against FC Barcelona and ATK against premier league side Fulham FC.
Kerela Blasters and Delhi Dynamos have chosen Malaysia and Doha to prepare for the season ahead respectively.
This shows real positive signs that the management is clear on the fact that the only way to improve the league is to improve the standard of the game being played on the pitch.
#2 The AFC Cup Slot
Probably one of the most important upgrades since its inception, ISL is now an AIFF, AFC and FIFA recognized league.
What that means, is, now ISL is no longer a private tournament and has to comply with the AFC regulations which guarantee its winners for an AFC Cup spot. This adds a lot of meaning to the competition which was otherwise a title with null vision.
The inclusion of AFC guidelines will mold it into a better structure and will help develop strong disciplines for the league and the teams to follow.
This also shifts the focus to a more practical approach of developing the game in the country by making it more global.
#3 Longer League and International Breaks
Even though the league had faced a reduction in the crowd and viewing numbers for the longer format in the previous season they have continued with the same for this year also.
A longer league gives more credibility to the players and the teams, as they have time to recover in-between two consecutive games. Also, AFC rules dictate a seven-month league mandatory in order to be eligible to participate in the competition. A longer league also fits in the practicality of vision to make ISL with par with the European counterparts.
This year, ISL has also introduced the concept of International Breaks, majorly focused for India's preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2019. The break also brings in a welcome change for the league to invest more for the game's betterment than for its entertainment quotient.
#4 Major cost-cutting
In this season, the ISL management has taken some strict measures to cut down its operational cost to make the league more sustainable.
Some major slashing of league representatives per venue had taken place this season to concentrate the power of responsibility to only a few more experienced people.
In the other big news consultancy firm IMG has also parted ways from the league after four years of association. Even though it can be seen as a possible back out by the company at a crucial juncture, it can also be translated as Reliance and Star increasing their stakes as the lone shareholders to a foreseeable future of the league.
#5 No opening Ceremony
One of the widely applauded steps by the fans has been the exclusion of Opening Ceremony in this season of the ISL.
For the past four seasons, the league organisers have tried vividly to follow the template of the Indian Premier League, which is to attract fans with Bollywood celebrities, glitz and glamour.
Now, by the start of the fifth season, it is clear that the inability to match the top level of football cannot be overshadowed with an entertainment quotient to lure the fans to come to the stadium.
Unlike IPL which has the top level of the game on display, ISL comes with a certain set of limitations and have to be dealt with differently.
After five seasons, it's also clear that football fans in the country are limited to the ones who have a certain sense of knowledge for the game and not everyone in the country who knows the game.
The Opening ceremony also reduces the unnecessary cost which in turn could be used for the betterment of the league.
Bonus- #FanBannaPadega-The Ad Campaign
We want football to grow in this country and the only way we do that is to be a part of the system ourselves. #FanBannaPadega is one beautiful Ad campaign which urges people to come to fill the stadium, cheer the teams and be a part of the change we all aspire to see happening to football in the country. It is really nice to see ISL acknowledge the real issues and addressing them. This year and the coming one are one of the pivotal years for Indian Football and the performances happening on the field, off the field, and in the stands will shape or break for what is to follow.
