@cybertron, there will be intensity in ISL, guaranteed. But as the prime movers of the league will be 40-pluses, they will play at 50% of their intensities at which they used to play in EPL and La Liga. Although I understand stamina does not get reduced proportionally with age, so in some cases I think the intensity will be about 30%. Overall let's settle for one-third.
That is how they will take Indian football to the next level.
Okay, if that is the game you want to play then why the hell not.
"I have done the survey on the field that why i know how people think about football"
Really? All 1 billion people? What about the 50% of that which is under the age of 25? Have you asked all 10 million people in Bangalore? What about all of the fans of Bengaluru FC? I am guessing the answer is no so how can you really say you know how people think about football through that?
For me, I say that people in India are starting to accept football as an interesting sport to play as a youngster and to watch, at least the top European league and international tournaments. As much as you hate these comparisons this is the exact same thing developing countries like the United States, Australia, Japan, and China went through before making it big and I would not be surprised if that holds true currently for South-East Asia, the middle east, and Africa as well.
How can we tell all of this? We get reports from reliable sources about how the popularity of football is rising in India. How broadcasters and foreign leagues are not afraid to market and televise their product in the country. And how there are probably over a million players through-out the country which can be seen from Goa to the North-East.
"its just not abt football they want money to earn and cricket is only sports to earn at present"
You know how the business world works then, right? Risks are made daily in the business world. Money is spent knowing that it won't be retained till years later almost daily. This is how the world works so to say that cricket is the only money making sport out there and thus why everything else is rubbish is wrong. Hockey India League is an example of this, a league with investors who have taken the risk here and so far it has shown good results and could soon show a profit but it may take years and I am sure they know that.
However this is not a one way street. We also need a good revenue stream otherwise the current risk taken by JSW Group with Bengaluru FC will be for nothing. At some point the risk won't be worth the red.
"bengaluru Fc do not have fan base these people are coming through word of mouth, ask any bengluru they would tell you football is waste of time when they see i league"
The majority probably do... it is a big city after all and that is why JSW have a job to do, which is to convert them to football fans. It won't ever be 100% but it can get close but it won't happen for years. But the 8,000 who show up for EVERY HOME GAME probably see the good in the I-League. I certainly do and I would not be surprised if a lot from that 8,000 crowd do to.
As for the rest of your post... give me a break. This is just a bunch of complaining, stuff which can be fixed easily if the AIFF just changed the structure of the league, more corporate interest is taken up, and clubs start REALLY connecting with the community in and out of the stadium.
All this is happening but slowly, we need patience... it will happen. Again, I know you don't like the American references but I will finish with one regardless:
Back in 1994, when MLS was started, everyone said the league would fail and after the 2001 season in which 2 teams were folded and the league saw massive debt they were close to being correct but now, 20 years later, if you asked these same people if they would have thought the league and country would make it this far at that time they would have said no.
You don't know what will happen in the future... neither do I. You just need to have a positive outlook, forget these surveys and move on and be happy with the current progress.
@Ashlesh, sorry to know the struggles of your cousin; but with his kind of CV, he is bound to shine. I have often thought about this -- cases like your cousin, as well as the path you had to choose.
The more I think about it the more it becomes evident that it is a case of sports ecosystem (or the lack of it in India) than money. A kid studies and continues his football; but at some stage, he has to decide between the two. Fact is, there are not many avenues for sports as career, unless the kid is enormously talented. Cricket is different, the sport is managed by BCCI (including money generating IPL), so the money trickles down to the lowest level as well. So, even a Ranji player can earn handsome. Injury-lay-offs and those who fail to go to the highest level, can make a career in some capacity or other (though I know some Ranji players are into parallel jobs).
The situation in football is different. A private entity is managing the potential money-earning properties, and all the money-consuming properties are left with AIFF. Be sure that IMG-R will take away all the profit, leaving AIFF only a fee.
I read in this forum only that the Kochi team will have four local players. Some career opportunity, that. How many of them will be U-19 or U-23?
If I were a team owner, I wouldn't even bother about academy, only keep the papers ok for inspection. Even if youth is developed, where they will look up to? the I-league? But I-league will be in coma (like present-day I-league 2) in front of the glamour of ISL.
And the glamour is only for two months; beyond that, we will go back to EPL and La Liga. Nice going, isn't it?
@arsenalfan, " people in India are starting to accept football as an interesting sport to play as a youngster and to watch": Nooooo. India hasn't STARTED to accept football. The love was always there, only thing is that it was not noticed and reported. I would say the love was not nurtured.
People was not given a good package to show their emotion. The football loving people was given HAL and BNR (Kolkata) and Titanium FC. They turned back. Then they were given Bengaluru FC. See the result. Now what would you say: Bengaluru has DISCOVERED that football can be supported? The passion is always there. I am sure the case will be the same for Hyderabad, Raipur, Nagpur or Delhi.
At this point, JSW should be given some means to get back something from their investment, which at present is nil. Under the circumstances, it becomes unattractive business proposition, or at best, a long drawn affair to break even (I do not know how).
I-league is badly packaged. Which implies, it has to be improved. How, it is discussed many a times in this forum. But, you do not throw the baby with the bathwater, do you. And ISL is not part of the solution.
Players like Odafa earning 2 crores and above should be incentive enough for youngsters taking up the game
I mean you need skills and the right coaching, I dont think even in cricket that with raw talent you will get anywhere, You need money to be splashed for you to get anywhere, Unlike in football where if the right talent is found and your future is bright.
Look at Africa/South america, Youngsters are having raw talent and they dont have the best infrastructure, But dont kids still follow the dream and most would eventually make it.
Not sure why our kids cannot dream. If some make it, more will make it in the future
Did I ever say I survey was done with everyone in India? I just used statistics based off reports from TV ratings... you know... the numbers that matter in the end.
@ashlesh, "... its difficult continuing football beyond i league (few clubs n few platyer) so unless.this change or league gets noticed by ppl nthg can change" agree, the key words being "unless this changes". I-league must change. Must change, not abandoned. IMG-R will push it towards abandonment. That will not be good as the league is, with all its shortcomings, a fully blown, sustainable league around which a football ecosystem can be thought of. A two month long ISL will not be able to do that. It will only generate profits for its owner IMG-R.
The biggest problem with isl is it is a 2 month league and as such it is a clear liability to indian football.I league is doomed. I guess the only way for indian football to survive with a 2 month isl is by making it mandatory for isl teams to participate in I league as well, on the existing ileague rules.
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I mean you need skills and the right coaching, I dont think even in cricket that with raw talent you will get anywhere, You need money to be splashed for you to get anywhere, Unlike in football where if the right talent is found and your future is bright.
Look at Africa/South america, Youngsters are having raw talent and they dont have the best infrastructure, But dont kids still follow the dream and most would eventually make it.
Not sure why our kids cannot dream. If some make it, more will make it in the future
I guess the only way for indian football to survive with a 2 month isl is by making it mandatory for isl teams to participate in I league as well, on the existing ileague rules.