What’s the story?
The Indian Football Association (IFA) is looking to hold another meeting with Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Offering sustained opposition to the organisers of the Indian Super League, the IFA has already sent a letter to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) regarding another round of talks with the two clubs.
"I've sent the letter and waiting for a response. You (AIFF) are yet to share the roadmap, you have to first share it. It's purely a domestic issue between the clubs and the AIFF. It's not an AFC issue. We will decide after getting your reply. Hope the AIFF will sort this out after receiving the letter," said Utpal Ganguli, secretary of Indian Football Association.
General secretary of Mohun Bagan, Anjan Mitra, speaking to the media further commented, "We cannot tolerate AIFF's torture anymore. We have just decided one thing in our meeting -- 'No Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, no ISL'. We will not allow ISL here. We will not allow business in the name of football.”
The context
The IFA are waiting to be informed about the roadmap of Indian football as promised by Praful Patel, the president of AIFF, in an earlier meeting in Mumbai on May 7. The stakeholders of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have been invited to take part in a meeting with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the 7th of June.
The heart of the matter
In a rare show of solidarity, Kolkata powerhouses Mohun Bagan and East Bengal joined forces against the Football Sports Development Limited (the organisers of ISL). As a result of a joint decision from the officials of the two teams, they are now threatening to disrupt the ISL if their three demands are not met. The two traditional clubs have not submitted the bid document for their induction into the ISL.
Chief among the demands is the waiver of the franchise fee of INR 15 crores. Apart from that, they have also sought money from the central pool whilst allowing the to play their home matches in Kolkata.
Also read: FPAI urges Indian players not to sign new contract until AIFF clears the ISL-I-League muddle
What’s next?
It will be interesting to see if Mohun Bagan and East Bengal attend the AFC meeting as they are still undecided on that. If the AIFF rejects the proposal for another meeting, it is expected that both clubs will boycott the meeting in Kuala Lumpur.
Author’s take
The ISL conundrum has been raging on for a long time and does not seem to die anytime soon. In the interest of Indian football, the two leagues in question and the organisers, a swift solution is essential to end the prolonged state of affairs.
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