NEW DELHI: The talks involving stakeholders of Indian football and representatives from FIFA and AFC have reportedly confirmed the roadmap for Indian professional football signed on to in 2019.
As per that, the promotion-relegation process from theI-League was supposed to kick in from the 2022-23 season onwards, while for the Indian Super league it was to be implemented from the 2024-25 season.
In this regard it is worth recalling what Sunando Dhar, acting AIFF general secretary, had told The Fan Garage in early May: “…as per the roadmap promotion starts from next year (that is Hero I-League 2022-23 winners gets to play Hero ISL 2023-24) and relegation from ISL starts a couple of years later (2024-25 season).”
The AIFF and FSDL have already agreed to implement the roadmap. An early clause of the agreement which mandated that they must “open a pathway for two I-League clubs’ entry into the ISL by the end of the 2020-21 season” was fulfilled ahead of schedule when East Bengal and Mohun Bagan joined the ISL in 2020.
Multiple I-League clubs including Mohammedan Sporting, Aizawl FC, Gokulam Kerala FC, Sudeva Delhi FC and RoundGlass Punjab FC have all expressed interest in earning a promotion to ISL by merit; some making it their express goal for to achieve within the first two-three seasons where promotion is implemented. And going by Mr Dhar’s assurances, their long awaited opportunity is going to arrive within months when the next season of I-League kicks off.
