With a raging pandemic and an ever-shifting landscape that is Indian football, All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Kushal Das assured that the roadmap laid out in 2019 after consultation with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is on schedule. From 2023 season onward, the I-League champions will play in the Indian Super League (ISL) during a media interaction.
The AIFF had back in 2019, assured the I-League clubs that they would be promoted to the ISL, with the latter replacing the former as the top division of the land. Meaning that the 2022-23 I-League winners will get to play in the 2023-24 ISL on “sporting” merit and promotion and two years after that there would be promotion-relegation between the two leagues.
ROADMAP ON COURSE
“There is a road map which kicks in from the season 2023-24 whereby the winner of the I-League (from 2022-23 season) on sporting merit will play in the ISL. There will be an increase in the number of teams in the ISL,” Das said during a virtual press conference ahead of the start of the 2021-22 I-League season.
“This will continue for two years and after that, there will be a clear process of relegation (from ISL to I-League) and promotion (from I-League to ISL). That has been the plan which has been agreed by all the stakeholders — the ISL and I-League clubs, the AFC and the AIFF.”
Even though the Covid-19 pandemic has been a stumbling block for many clubs as well as the leagues, Kushal Das reassured all stakeholders want to follow the road map.
“Covid-19 has been a big setback. There are problems, we realise that. A team like former champions Chennai City is not able to continue to play in I-League. We also know that there are some issues with the SC East Bengal playing in ISL.
“But at this point in time, the road map we have agreed with all the stakeholders remains. We are completely in sync with that plan. There is no reason to deviate from the plan,” Das added.
The 2022-23 I-League champions’ participation in the ISL the following season is subject to the club fulfilling the licensing criteria.
NEW TEAMS ADD NEW DIMENSION
As for the upcoming season, the forthcoming edition will feature 13 teams from 11 cities including Indian Arrows who are based out of Bhubaneswar.
Kushal Das feels that “with some new teams coming in,” and he is “looking forward together to another great season of I-League football.”
“I would have preferred to have the league under normal conditions,” Kushal Das stated. “But as it stands, it is very important that we continue operating in a secure bio bubble for the safety of the players and all others involved in putting together this endeavour.”
The I-League 2021-22 is all set to kick-off from December 26 in three venues, the Mohun Bagan ground in Kolkata, the picturesque Kalyani Stadium, and the Naihati Stadium.
Sunando Dhar, the CEO Leagues and Development, highlighted that with the addition of Sreenidi Deccan FC, Rajasthan United FC and Kenkre FC, the forthcoming edition has added a new dimension to itself.
“I am extremely excited for the new season and hope it goes down to the wire like last time,” said Dhar.
“The addition of new teams from Rajasthan, Mumbai and the Deccan region will give more chances to players from different regions,” he pronounced.
Rajasthan United made history by winning the I-League Qualifiers as they became the first team from their state to play at this level. Kenkre FC’s participation signifies the return of Mumbai to the I-League after a gap of 4 years.
“We have done well to spread the league across the country after the initial years of multiple teams coming from Kolkata, Goa and Mumbai,” said Sunando Dhar. “But it is important to get teams from metropolitan cities in terms of commercial implications.”
BIO-SECURE BUBBLE LOGISTICS
In fact, the I-League will be held in a bio-secure environment with strict COVID-19 protocols, just like last year. All the players, along with the referees, officials and volunteers, will be housed inside bio-secured bubbles in four different hotels across Kolkata. Leagues CEO Sunando Dhar said the AIFF will be implementing the same protocols as last season.
“Since there are more teams this time we have booked more hotels as bio-bubbles. We are following the same protocols of last time,” Dhar said. “It is not easy for the players and officials to remain locked up for three and half months in a hotel. Hopefully, we get the same kind of support from the teams like last year.”
When asked how many foreign players will be allowed in each team, given the new AFC rule, he said, “We are allowing each team to register six foreign players but, on the match day, the 3+1 rule (three players of any nationality and one from an AFC member association) will apply.”
As per the tournament format, all the teams will play against each other once in a round-robin format in Phase 1, before being split into two groups in Phase 2 of the league. The top seven teams will make up Group A and the bottom six will make up Group B. Once the divisions are made after the end of Phase I, the teams of each group will play against each another in a single leg round-robin format. While the teams in Group A will play to determine the champions, those in Group B will be in a relegation battle.
RELEGATION AND HOPES OF I-LEAGUE 2
Kushal Das also clarified that the relegation procedure will be put into effect from this season again. “We will revert back to the system where they would be relegation from the I-League this season.”
He also said that if the COVID-19 situation permits, that next year onward a full-fledged second Division League will be played on a home and away basis instead of the I-League Qualifiers
It was announced that 1Sports will live telecast all the 140-plus matches and the channel will also live-stream the games.
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