What’s the story?
Federation Cup holders Mohun Bagan have issued a statement stating their disinterest in being part of the Indian Super League (ISL) this season. The Kolkata club’s general secretary, Anjan Mitra, expressed that clearly to PTI: “Our president has made it clear that we are not going to be part of the ISL and so there is no question of buying any bid document.”
The context
Yesterday, the ISL opened its doors to an expansion by announcing they will be floating a tender through “Invitation to Bid” from 12th May 2017 to 24th May 2017. Ten cities — Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cuttack, Durgapur, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Siliguri and Thiruvananthapuram — have been shortlisted and a maximum of three clubs will be included in the next iteration of the popular competition.
The announcement came days after AIFF declared that ISL and I-League will run as separate leagues in the foreseeable future. The governing body also pondered the idea of discussing the increase in the number of continental slots so that ISL clubs could also have a shot at Asian glory.
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The heart of the matter
Bagan, who are playing the AFC Cup this season by virtue of winning the Federation Cup last season, remain concerned about the allotment of Asian places for Indian clubs which the retooling of ISL might create a change.
“Our only concern is that I-League should continue to be the official league of the country and its winner should play in the Asian Champions League play-off while the Federation Cup winners should play in the AFC Cup,” Mitra added, suggesting that Bagan are not taking sides with ISL and want the old AFC qualifying structure to be followed, since the AIFF pointed that I-League will remain the official league of India.
What’s next?
It remains to be seen whether Bagan are genuinely taking a stand against ISL participation or testing ISL and AIFF’s resolve. It has already been established that Bagan, along with East Bengal, demanded a waiver of the Rs 15 crore franchise fees that is required for all ISL clubs, therefore, Bagan’s statement could force ISL’s hands.
It was also clearly mentioned that ISL will remain a “one club, one city” tournament for the next two seasons, overlooking another one of Bagan’s pleas that the Mariners be allowed to play their ISL home games in Kolkata.
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Author’s take
It is clear from Bagan’s stance that the recent tussle between I-League and ISL isn’t ending anytime soon. With spots for AFC competitions also a bone of contention between I-League and ISL, the Mariners will certainly look to explore all possibilities before committing to not participating in ISL’s bidding process for new teams, which starts today.
Their statement seems like a warning shot to ISL, but it could also mean that ISL might now go out of their way to persuade one of the giants of Indian football to join the more glamorous franchise tournament.
