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AFC wants ISL, I-League to be merged next year

AFC general secretary Dato' Windsor John made it clear that the simultaneous running of the Indian Super League and I-League this season was just a stop-gap arrangement

By Pti
AFC General Secretary Dato’ Windsor John

Kolkata, October 25: Asian Football Confederation general secretary Dato' Windsor John made it clear that the simultaneous running of the Indian Super League and I-League this season was just a stop-gap arrangement and the two will be merged together.

"It's not a question of what we are favouring or not. It's in the AFC Constitution that one country should have one league. We just gave provision (for two leagues) for a transition period. That's all," Windsor told reporters at the Salt Lake Stadium on the sidelines of the England-Brazil FIFA Under-17 World Cup semi-final here. "There will be one league for sure. For the time being, because of the situation we had to do it (have two leagues this season)," he said.

The ISL and I-League will run simultaneously this season as the All India Football Federation failed to resolve Mohun Bagan and East Bengal's refusal to give franchise fee required to be in the ISL.

Windsor further spoke highly of Mohun Bagan and East Bengal's contribution to keep India's football alive. "We cannot forget their legacies. We are very conscious of their contribution to Indian football. If today football is alive, it's because of these clubs," he said.

A two-member team of FIFA and AFC-UEFA Affairs Committee were here in September to meet the two clubs and prepare a blueprint for Indian football. "There were some experts here who have prepared the report, which I've not seen yet. On one side, you have the legacy clubs on the other side there are the modern ISL clubs.

"I've to see the report, sit with ISL and discuss what needs to be done. How do we take the best of both for Indian football that should be the focal point rather than talking about merger," the AFC top official said.

AIFF general secretary Kushal Das assured reporters there would be one league from the next season. However, he insisted that Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will have to pay "participation fees".

"There will be one league, we will make all the efforts to have one league from next season. They have to make a choice. They (Mohun Bagan and East Bengal) have to pay up participation fees. It can't be compromised," Das said.

He clarified that this 'participation fee' is different from the 'franchisee fee' amounting to Rs 15 crore, which the two clubs refused to pay.

Story first published: Wednesday, October 25, 2017, 18:56 [IST]
Other articles published on Oct 25, 2017