1) A merged league will hurt the investments of ISL.
2) New League will have to be called ISL then?
3) There must be tremendous pressure from FIFA to merge or have only one league.
4)
Who will decide that which team will play in which league? Right now it
is PP who decide that DSK (Any Tom, Dick and Harry team from Pune) play
in I-League and PIFA, Kenkre will play in 2nd Division.
5) They just cannot merge all ISL and i-League clubs. There is difference in Budgets.
6)
ISL attract Foreign players because of small duration and the Foreign
players can be released before January Transfer window. You disturb that
balance and ISL clubs will shut the shop.
1) Depends on how it is done. The I-League teams don't have the same resources as the ISL sides, or are not expected to spend as much.
2) Probably. Don't see what else they will call it.
3) Well, ya. FIFA have a lot of vested interest in India and they probably like the ISL but hate that there is no proper top-tier league at the moment.
4) That is anyone's guess.
5) See #1.
6) Yes and No. Getting an average ISL player like Borja Fernandez, Iain Hume, Bruno Pelissari, Hans Mulder, Chris Dagnal, Antonio German, Nicolas Velez, Roger Johnson, Kalu Uche etc. should not be hard. We have seen guys like Mendy, Manuel Garcia, Do-Dong Hyun stay in India after the ISL and there are players who were willing to stay and play in the I-League if the money was right. We also see guys in the I-League from England, Australia etc who stay and like it in India. Yes, players will need to be payed a little more but I don't think it should be a problem and if the number of foreigners is reduced by 2-3 then the money needed for those raises can be done.
The problem will be with the marquees. Guys like Elano, Sabrosa, Malouda, Riise probably come to India for a short stint and would stay in a 6-8 month Indian league for one season before leaving. However, I can see Elano okay to stay and maybe even Lucio as well depending on how their teams help in terms of living.
I am going to question though the number of teams. Why do we have this great obsession over it? 16, 18 etc. We don't have the money nor the quality in the player pool to sustain 16 teams right now. Ever since getting into Indian football people are shouting for more teams and it feels like most of the time it just to have what they have in England!
8-10 teams is fine. More teams and a pan-India feel should happen gradually, no rushing it.
I will say 14 team top div and 18 team second div with relegation allowed after two seasons.....also a quota of two teams for PsU in each divisionservices, army, railways and one representative from banks get my votes...
I don't care if they don't sound sexy enough to Nita and PP..but they groom poor kids from rural areas and any " national" league has to be inclusive of everyone
No PSU clubs in top division. Also I would want no players can play professional football in any division, national or state leagues, if they are simultaneously working in a PSU.
Still not buying the idea of a 2nd Division... at least yet. Of course that depends on how this single league goes. if it remains "franchise based" then you can guarantee there won't be one for a while.
Domestic cup though should be on the cards and PSU clubs can be a part of that.
Comments
2) New League will have to be called ISL then?
3) There must be tremendous pressure from FIFA to merge or have only one league.
4) Who will decide that which team will play in which league? Right now it is PP who decide that DSK (Any Tom, Dick and Harry team from Pune) play in I-League and PIFA, Kenkre will play in 2nd Division.
5) They just cannot merge all ISL and i-League clubs. There is difference in Budgets.
6) ISL attract Foreign players because of small duration and the Foreign players can be released before January Transfer window. You disturb that balance and ISL clubs will shut the shop.
2.Yes
3.Yes
4.Yes
5.No
6.No
2) Probably. Don't see what else they will call it.
3) Well, ya. FIFA have a lot of vested interest in India and they probably like the ISL but hate that there is no proper top-tier league at the moment.
4) That is anyone's guess.
5) See #1.
6) Yes and No. Getting an average ISL player like Borja Fernandez, Iain Hume, Bruno Pelissari, Hans Mulder, Chris Dagnal, Antonio German, Nicolas Velez, Roger Johnson, Kalu Uche etc. should not be hard. We have seen guys like Mendy, Manuel Garcia, Do-Dong Hyun stay in India after the ISL and there are players who were willing to stay and play in the I-League if the money was right. We also see guys in the I-League from England, Australia etc who stay and like it in India. Yes, players will need to be payed a little more but I don't think it should be a problem and if the number of foreigners is reduced by 2-3 then the money needed for those raises can be done.
The problem will be with the marquees. Guys like Elano, Sabrosa, Malouda, Riise probably come to India for a short stint and would stay in a 6-8 month Indian league for one season before leaving. However, I can see Elano okay to stay and maybe even Lucio as well depending on how their teams help in terms of living.
eventually, say in 3-5 years we could add more
Domestic cup though should be on the cards and PSU clubs can be a part of that.