If you’re not living under a rock, you would know that the biggest narrative in Indian sports right now is Aizawl FC’s stunning I-League title triumph. The minnows from Mizoram upset every odd as they left the competition for dead by becoming the first club from North East India to win the country’s coveted top division title.
However, things weren’t as rosy for Mizoram football as recently as a decade ago. With only five players plying their trade in the I-league, the state was the least represented from North East India. A thriving domestic structure failed to translate to national success.
But then, an unlikely helping hand from one of world football’s powerhouses created a footballing ecosystem which is finally bearing fruit.
In 2012, two German football coaches sent by the German Football Association (DFB), Lutz Pfannenstiel and Felix Imm, planted the seeds of a famous story that culminated in a title win for Aizawl. The people of Mizoram still believe that the two German coaches were at the root of Aizawl’s triumph, and they had a significant role to play in identifying a region which has now become India’s footballing hub.
Also Read: Aizawl FC could miss out on AFC Champions League spot if they fail to get an AFC license
As the Honorary Secretary of the Mizoram Football Association Lalnghinglova Hmar said, “It was in October 2012 when the two German football coaches send by the DFB, Lutz Pfannenstiel and Felix Imm, gave training to the local Mizo coach – which has been of great help to improve the standard of coaching in Mizoram. They came and educated our coaches and our players about techniques that we never knew about.
“Even after that, we stayed in touch with them to better our grassroots level craft. Even club owners came forward to take their experience and inculcated it within their systems. Hence, you now see all the young Mizo players being scouted by the other I-League clubs.”
On being asked about the difference in support they received from All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Germany, Hmar said, “AIFF has always helped us when we needed, but I think in terms of impact, the Germans have had a serious one here, which will last for years. Their style is the same that is played by clubs such as Aizawl FC and Chanmari. So, I feel it was very important for football in Mizoram to go through that phase.”
India must recognise that their future of football is in Mizoram: Hoffenheim Coaches
The German connection to Mizoram football doesn’t stop there. In 2014, the Bundesliga outfit TSG Hoffenheim 1899 visited India as part of their post-season tour, where they played a friendly match against a Mizoram XI that comprised Indian national team stars like Shylo Malsawmtluanga, Jeje Lalpekhlua and Lalrindika Ralte.
During their India visit, the German club, which is owned by SAP founder Dietmar Hopp, discovered the gem that is Mizoram football in somewhat unexpected circumstances, and their relation with the North Eastern state has grown over the years.
U Dream Football is an initiative which selects budding footballers from across India for a six-year training programme at Hoffenheim every year. The goal of the programme is to have at least five Indian representatives in the Bundesliga within the next decade. Out of the 35 players selected for the programme, 17 are from Mizoram, which is almost 50% of the entire contingent. Current Junior Bengal football team Coach, Yan Law, worked with Hoffenheim during their India tour.
Law said, “Once we travelled to Mizoram, we planned to have a camp only in Aizawl. But after we saw a glut of talent from junior sides of Aizawl FC and Chanmari FC, we decided to be there for another couple of days and hold a separate camp which was closer to rural Mizoram. Once we got there, we were surprised to have a number of really good talented kids; something that was beyond our expectations.
“Hoffenheim thought that since they have come here to play a match, why not expand our grassroots programs and see what other talents are here in rural Mizoram. So we went to strategic locations of Mizoram; for example if we went to village A, people from villages B, C, D came and participated. The number, at one point, was so overwhelming that we decided to take all of them on board,” he added.
17 Mizo kids in UCL club Hoffenheim Youth Academy
What distinctly impressed the Hoffenheim coaches was the structure already in place. A thriving domestic league that consistently churned out national level players, which included clubs such as Aizawl FC, boasted of several youth academies across the state.
Aizawl FC owner Robert Royte said, “Aizawl FC has six football academies in the state, Chanmari has 4, and even other clubs have it. This is more than the number in West Bengal or Goa, so our focus from the very beginning has been grassroots. When the German coaches came over they were shocked to see that, because wherever they were told about football, they were told go to Kolkata or Sikkim. But, no one ever mentioned Mizoram.”
In 2014, the first Hoffenheim team, which included a young Roberto Firmino, played against the Mizoram XI and won convincingly. The North German outfit had their best season this year, after successfully qualifying for the UEFA Champions League – something established clubs such as Manchester United are finding it difficult to do. This begs the question: If a top German team can have 17 Mizo players within their youth setup, why can’t India let their champions play top flight football?
Law added, “I’ve been in touch with the coaches from there, this is a yearly fixture for them. In the beginning, it was a Pan India programme, but once Hoffenheim saw the plethora of talent in Mizoram, they decided to restrict it only to the North East. Some of the players are really standing out in training there; I won’t take any names, but don’t be surprised if some of them end up playing for European clubs.”
Earlier this week, news broke out that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is planning on relegating Aizawl FC to the second division of the proposed ‘merged’ league. The first or elite division would include all ISL franchises, along with three I-league clubs – Bengaluru FC, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. All these clubs finished below Aizawl FC, yet they will be promoted to the top division – not based on merit, but popularity.
East Bengal is yet to even win an I-League title; the only reason they will be given this ‘promotion’ is their large fan base. But how can football grow if fairytale stories such as Aizawl FC are nipped in the bud? Should we really determine a club’s worth based on popularity and not achievements?
Also Read: Aizawl FC threaten to launch worldwide protests, hunger strike if they are relegated
These are all questions that are yet to be answered by the AIFF. However, General Secretary Kushal Das did shed some light on the matter when he said, “Look, even if Aizawl FC do not play in the country’s top league, it doesn’t mean that the road ends for themThey can still play in the second division, and continue to grow their club there. We will show even the second division matches live on television, and not just the top league. So Aizawl FC need not lose heart even if they are not part of the league.”
This particular reply prompted a stern response from Aizawl FC, who wrote to AIFF stating that they would go on a worldwide hunger strike if they were relegated.
It's not just sad, but downright unfair that a country’s champions will have to be demoted to accommodate clubs which have larger financial muscle. But whether India decides to accept Mizoram football or not, the people from the state will always have avenues like Germany to bolster their inherent talent.
