Ya, agree. I think as time moves on we will see football get better at all levels from youth level to state league. Football can make it here, the support is there but we just need to tap into it.
Listen there is no revenue here and almost evry club has 18-36 digit wid aiff so owner are just using it as tax saving process....and the main problem is that aiff is acting as 2nd fiddle to img-r just like sonia manmohan yes mam type img-r r nt thinking aiff as partner but as inferior..
BFC took advice from this forum and created an "expansion team" & surprise surprise it was a success. Instead of critizing our own wisdom... where do we think clubs shud go next. Youth development and starting with local leagues seems a better way than this farce of a U19 league...too similar to 2nd Division !!
Currently, from what I can see, the state leagues in India are separate from the AIFF and are separate competitions overall. They all have different number of teams and different squad rules and overall it creates confusion and unorganization.
What I believe the AIFF should try to do is stop the I-League 2nd Division for now and focus on making the I-League a better national competition while also focusing on the state level leagues but a few at a time. Start a national/state league called the "Indian Regional Leagues" and select around five to six states. For the start you can select West Bengal, Goa, Delhi, Mizoram, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. Have all 6 states create brand new state leagues with around 10 teams each based on certain qualifications and under the same roster rules (I recommend the usual 3+1 rule + a U23 player rule). Each team plays each other twice for 18 games before the top 2 teams in each state meet at a neutral venue for a national state finals which would basically be 12 teams playing each other once and the top team at the end is the champion.
We could also have fun with this via the Federation Cup where we could re-format it and have an incentive for qualification for state league teams being that you need to qualify for the national finals in order to also qualify for the Federation Cup. Merge the 12 winners with the I-League sides and you have your national cup competiton.
Also, in order to provide matches for our younger players all I-League sides who have a local IRL state league should be forced to play their "B" side in the state league. This would mean separate squad rules for I-League teams (Only 1 foreigner can play and at least 7-8 U23 players something like that). This would help promote younger players and expose them to competitive matches against senior teams early and hopefully get them noticed for I-League action.
NOW! This is my idea and I believe it can work and that it is feasible but there would be obsticles. First of all, we would need cooperation between the AIFF and state federations and we barely have that at all. I know the GFA and KSFA are good with AIFF but the IFA is always fighting the AIFF and they are also stuck in the 20th century IMO so there are roadblocks but if they can be overcome I can see this working.
And then as time goes on, you can add more states but start with the established ones first.
So even with Bengaluru FC and there unpresidented success we still believe there is no hope.
i never said that i just said on current situation ,BFC is just a start but in this i-league world no one is saint...BFC official think that they can change the pathetic situation pof indian football as long as they believe they will stick to their plans but if they didn't get more success in probably 2-3 yrs you will see that same person opinion will chaange promptly....in hindi there is saying "akela chana bhaad nai fod sakta" if no one will support or if other club don't follow BFC ....soon they will loose hope...AIFF have to show bit of proffesionalism by giving their 70 lakh winning prize instantly to keep them motivated...
suppose you got 10 million$ in hand and that is your life saving ,will you open a club of 8-9$ million where there is no guarentee of return.....BFC certainly the best thing happen in I-league but to attract more investors proper plan is required and revenue is the important aspect...probably a joint venture will be gud.....look after BFC 2nd best club is PFC after so much gaga of proffesionalism where are they now...5k crowd and 80% non payable tkts....AIFF is in dilema if they were strict 6-7 will have to be removed from i-league next season coz of afc criteris ...i'm sure both MB and EB will not fulfill those criteria till the end of this season...AIFF stictness is just show-off.....fake promises...and nothing else....i'm not saying there is no hope but stability shud be there and watever decision they make they shud be firm....1st deducting points from salgaocar and then awarding...first banning MB then exemption on 2 crore...@gaffartape did MB paid the 2 crore fine to AIFF?? it is almost like Aiff is college teacher of some B grade college and students like clubs are bunking the class in front of teacher...
Comments
Instead of critizing our own wisdom...
where do we think clubs shud go next.
Youth development and starting with local leagues seems a better way than this farce of a U19 league...too similar to 2nd Division !!
What else can be done to move it forward ?