Dempo SC were the third Goan club to pull out of the I-League this week. Their withdrawal was preceded by the exit of Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa a few weeks ago. All three clubs stated their concerns about the uncertainty of the game in India and claimed they did not have the resources to invest in a team that might not have a future in the new proposed system.
CEO of the I-League, Sunanda Dhar, did not take kindly to their action and did not mince his words when it came to calling them out on their decision.
“It is unfortunate that the Goan clubs are pulling out. They have contributed a lot, not just for Goan football, but for Indian football. While they are pointing fingers at others, Goan clubs also need to do some introspection on why the fans stopped coming for their matches.”
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Dhar has a point. Goan clubs have a rich tradition of not only participation but significant success in Indian football and it will be a sad day when there are no Goan clubs playing in the I-League. With less than a month before the tournament starts, there are just seven clubs remaining in the competition – East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC, Aizawl FC, Shillong Lajong, DSK Shivajians and Mumbai FC.
The CEO also said, “Five-six years back there were a lot of fans in Goan football. Why did only 500 people turn up for Sporting’s home semi-final match against Bengaluru FC in the Federation Cup? And it’s not like Goans have stopped loving football because we have seen a huge turnout for FC Goa’s matches. You cannot say it is the impact of ISL because then it should have affected Kolkata and other parts of the country too.”
“Yet we saw a 35% increase in stadium turn-out and a 13% increase in TV viewership for the I-League. Do you think the fans would have allowed Mohun Bagan, East Bengal or Bengaluru FC to pull-out? Maybe the Goan clubs have lost the connection with the fans. Maybe they haven’t done enough for them,” he added.
With the exit of these three teams, the path is now clear for new clubs to enter the fray. The I-League has invited clubs from across the country to submit their bids for participation in the league which starts next month. Five clubs – Chennai City FC, FC Bardez from Goa, Minerva FC from Chandigarh, Imphal-based Neroca FC and Delhi’s Sudeva FC are the interested parties.
With the league hoping to have a minimum of nine teams this coming season, at least two of these teams might be seen on the national stage. Dhar added, “The league will have a minimum of 9 teams. But it could also be more. We have five parties who have expressed interest.”
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