MUMBAI: The upcoming season of the I-League will kick off on November 16, senior sources in the All India Football Federation (AIFF) have confirmed to Sportstar.
As already reported, the sixth edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) will begin on October 20.
The I-League was initially to begin on November 2, but the AIFF decided to push it to November 16, two days after India’s FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan, the daily reports.
While the schedule is yet to be announced, there remains some uncertainty on how the vexed matter of a continental berth for the I-League winners will be managed. As per the norms set out by the Asian Football Confederation, the winner of a member country’s top league is awarded a berth in the AFC Champions League will the winning club of a nation’s top knockout tournament is awarded a slot in the AFC Cup.
There was no confusion till such time as the I-League at least notionally was given the standing as the country’s top league while the bigger and more high profile Indian Super League winners (technically a knockout event as the winners are decided in a final play-off) secured the AFC Cup slot.
As already reported, all that changes from this season on, as it will be the ISL winner that secures a AFC Champions League berth while the idea is that the I-League winner will compete in the AFC Cup.
The problem here is that as per the AFC’s guidelines, the AFC Cup slot will go to the winner of the Super Cup, since it is the country’s only knockout tournament at present (and one in which both ISL and I-League clubs compete). In the event that an ISL club wins the Super Cup, then none of the I-League clubs will feature in either AFC competition.
However, the AIFF is certain on finding a solution for this dilemma. “Our idea is to have the AFC Champions League slot for the ISL. And we are trying to get the AFC Cup slot for the I-League,” the source told Sportstar, while adding that a decision would be made before the commencement of the I-League.
Meanwhile, AFC officials in the know have said that a meeting on the same is scheduled for only in late November. “A meeting regarding the allocation of AFC berths and league functioning is scheduled for late November,” they told the sports magazine.
