So much talk about a longer ISL!!! Its never gonna happen. It wont survive if it extends beyond dec/jan. The only reason decent foreign players are coming to ISL is bcoz they can move on in the Jan transfer window. And if ISL needs to pay these guys full year round, it wont be feasible. Just imagine FC Pune City's wages bill for a full year, with the kind of players they have.
That is a myth. Look at the guys we have in I-League who stay for a full year. John Johnson, Curtis Osano, Josh Walker, Calum Angus, Carlos Hernandez, Sean Rooney, Tolgay Ozbey, Darryl Duffy etc are guy who come from "First world nations" but have worked in India for at least 2 seasons (Walker in his second season now) and have so far enjoyed themselves (Hernandez maybe an exception) and have been in India for at least 3 years for full seasons.
We also manage to attract guys like Ramould Boco, Cornell Glenn, Miguel Garcia, Edgar Marceliano etc. who have come to India and settled (Boco an exception) despite playing in places you would never think a guy playing in Indian football would come from.
Ya, once the league becomes longer it will be different. We will probably have to drop the foreigner limit from 11 to 7-9 but it won't be hard to bring in guys for a full season. We will also have to change where we get players but it won't be bad. I know many players who have gone from the US to Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, players from Brazil, Australia, Japan etc. Hell, El Hadji Diouf is in Malaysia right now, as well as Lawrence Olum, guys from Cyprus, Argentina, Eastern Europe etc. And they all stay for the full season.
ISL has not been stable either. Even in 3 month league, Kerala Blasters changed ownership and had salary problems. Before ISL part 2 starts, you will see some more closures or sell-outs. If they are struggling so much in 3 month, will they be ready for longer duration league?
Every league has tough beginnings, and it should be no surprise for ISL as many went in not knowing what would happen... at least those spending did not. Many of the owners here are in it either for the short boost they will get (media etc), to sell eventually, or maybe also for the long-term. We already know many are friends of the Ambani's and now it has been officially said by the bioch that this is "her league" (Quote: Oh no, I don’t have a team, I have a whole league).
Ideally I would like to say this league, like majority of sports leagues around the world, will continue to seem "unstable" but eventually will even out. We will probably see some owners complaining, a team or two go, etc. MLS has seen it, IPL, A-League, it's nothing new.
My main concern is that when I do read about other sports leagues, mainly MLS and the A-League, they always talk about expanding by two more teams and adding more teams with the idea that these new teams can help them get better TV contracts... but we are owned by STAR Sports. The ISL system is flawed as hell!
Maybe only @gaffertape can enlighten us regarding what's going in the devils' mind...ileague happening (club owners reassured enough by PP)??? If yes final participants list(likely)....i am assuming this needs to be finalised quite soon......no way #IMG can wait till their annual joke ends in Dec
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On serious note, is Pune FC confirmed shutting shop?