MUMBAI: After all the hullabaloo over the past month or so, with letters sent to the Prime Minister’s office, the Union Sports Ministry as well as FIFA and AFC, the United I-League Clubs are back to square one.
World football’s governing body has basically endorsed the position taken by All India Football Federation president Praful Patel early last month wherein he had stated that permission would be sought from AFC to continue with the current arrangement of the I-League and ISL running separately and concomitantly for another three years at least with one crucial difference. The Indian Super League would become the de facto top league in that the ISL champions would get an AFC Champions League preliminary qualifier spot and the I-League winners would have to settle for the AFC Cup playoff spot.
Though in practical terms Patel’s proposal would have seen the two leagues maintain status quo since no Indian club can realistically expect (at least for the near to mid-term future) to reach the group stages of the AFC Champions League, this was what riled up the six I-League clubs that make up the United I-League Clubs – Minerva Punjab, Quess East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, Churchill Brothers, Aizawl FC, NEROCA and Gokulam Kerala FC.
So will the clubs follow up on their earlier threat and move the Court of Arbitration for Sport or Indian courts? That does seem an unlikely course of action at this stage.
Operative paragraphs from the FIFA letter addressed to Minerva Punjab co-owner Ranjit Bajaj from FIFA acting deputy secretary general Mattias Grafstrom:
AIFF Roadmap for the sustainable development of top-level Indian club football
“The review performed in 2018 did indeed identify a number of complex issues which require a prudent and measured approach, encompassing the positions of all relevant stakeholders, in order to be appropriately addressed. After further discussions, it was clear that there are numerous aspects of the recommendations that still require further consideration prior to them being implemented. We understand that based on this the AIFF President has met the clubs and suggested a short-term solution until a more sustainable long-term solution can be found following continued consultation with all stakeholders.
“We therefore strongly believe that the AIFF is best placed to do this and we are confident that a thorough and effective process can be managed by the AIFF in its role as the governing body for football in India.
“FIFA, together with the AFC, remains available to assist and support the AIFF with this process and it will be important that all clubs work closely with the AIFF as the cooperation of all stakeholders will be fundamental to ensuring that the best way forward for top-level football in India is found.”
At this juncture, it is worth revisiting the full text of the joint statement issued by the United I-League Clubs on June 24:
“We, the United I-League clubs met today in New Delhi to discuss our future course of action in light of the latest developments in Indian football.
“With media reports indicating that the ISL being announced as the top division league post an Executive committee meeting scheduled for July 3rd, the I-League clubs are standing united stronger than ever.
“Quess East Bengal. Mohun Bagan, Churchill Brothers, Minerva Punjab. Aizawl FC, NEROCA and Gokulam Kerala FC have all decided to approach the Appropriate Courts for relief at the earliest as soon as any such decision announced by AIFF.
“The refusal of the President of AIFF to meet the I-League clubs in spite of several requests and the subsequent vindictive actions especially towards the I-League clubs, combined with the coercive and blackmailing attitude of FSDL towards AIFF by refusing to make payments pushes the game to an uncertain future.
“I League has been the national league since 1996 and carries the tradition of Indian Football with it. This tradition has helped create what football in India stands today and has been the torch bearer of Indian Football. I League has been the sole driving force in creating footballers and fans of the game in the country.
“To be now told that the I League will no longer be the TOP LEAGUE is completely unacceptable and illegal and we pledge to fight this together as ONE FOOTBALL FAMILY which carries the tradition of Indian football.”
