What’s the story?
Two-time I-League champions Bengaluru FC have expressed interest in playing Indian Super League (ISL) football as early as next season as they have picked up the “Invitation to Bid” document floated by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) earlier today.
According to sources close to Sportskeeda, a Bengaluru official confirmed the club’s decision to pick up the bid document, thereby signalling their intentions of being part of the lucrative ISL and leaving the I-League, if their bid is successful.
The context
FSDL, the body which controls and organises ISL, announced yesterday its plans to expand the eight-team ISL. Bids to be part of ISL 2017-18 are invited from clubs from 10 different cities, out of which a maximum of three clubs will be signed up to the ISL.
The ten cities include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cuttack, Siliguri, Rachi, Jamshedpur, Durgapur, Thiruvananthapuram, Kolkata and Hyderabad. The ISL, in keeping with its one city, one club rule, will force the Kolkata-based new club to play outside the capital of West Bengal for the next two seasons. Bengaluru, however, have no such concerns as they are the only club from the capital of Karnataka, taking into account both ISL and I-League.
The heart of the matter
Bengaluru’s decision to bid for a place in the ISL suggests that the ongoing tussle between I-League and ISL for the status of India’s premier club competition is slowly heading the cash-rich ISL’s way. With a big club like Bengaluru stating their intentions to follow the ISL tide, it is only a matter of time until the big Kolkata clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, follow. However, Bagan have already declared themselves out of the ISL picture.
What’s next?
The tendering process has started today and will run for 12 days until the 24th of May. The last date for submitting the bid documents is 25th May, after which no bids will be entertained. There have been talks going on regarding the involvement of Tata pursuing ownership of a new ISL franchise, so expect newer developments to unfold in the coming days.
Author’s take
Bengaluru’s decision comes as an endorsement of ISL, suggesting that even the most cosmopolitan of I-League clubs cannot let the gravy train of ISL pass. Whether ISL immediately gets slots for AFC competitions remains to be seen, but with Bengaluru making a move, it seems only a matter of months until we see the I-League pushed to the background.
