Possibility of I-League not being India’s top-flight has existed since 2010
As per a clause in the agreement between IMG-Reliance and the All India Football Federation, the former has the right to ‘reorganise’ or ‘reconstitute’ the Indian top-flight, or even ‘establish’ an entirely new league in its place, HT has learnt
Even before the Indian Super League (ISL) kicked off in 2014, the I-League could have been replaced by one created by the commercial partners of the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF). This is a cross the AIFF has had to bear since 2010, when it signed a commercial agreement with IMG-Reliance.
In the contract between IMG-Reliance and the AIFF, a part about the league structure reads: “…the league which the Company (sic) intends to establish as the most senior and prestigious football league in India (in consultation with the AIFF as contemplated under this Agreement) whether by way of reorganising or reconstituting any existing Competition (sic) (such as the I-League) or the establishment of an entirely new league….” HT has a copy of this.
So, would the AIFF’s commercial partners be within their rights should they want to position ISL as that ‘entirely new league’? Speaking over the phone from New Delhi, AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said he could not comment as it would breach the confidentiality clause. Das had joined the governing body a little over a month before the 15-year agreement worth Rs 700 crore was signed on December 9, 2010.
“The AIFF has been plain lucky that its current commercial partners haven’t exercised this right,” said a long-serving AIFF official, requesting anonymity given the sensitive nature of the issue.
One former federation official said the idea of a separate league germinated before IMG-Reliance came on board subsuming most of the previous marketing agreement AIFF had signed in 2005.
“The success of the first Indian Premier League (IPL) got a lot of marketing people thinking about short leagues and the AIFF’s former partners did explore the possibility of holding one,” he said. But the official said he didn’t remember this being in the old deal. Another former AIFF official too said as much. Neither wanted to be quoted because during their time at AIFF they were not authorised to speak on this.
For this term, the ISL is seeking a qualifying berth for the 2019 AFC Cup. It has been mentioned in the AIFF’s proposal to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The AIFF has also asked that the 2017-18 I-League champions be given the right to represent India in the Asian Champions League qualifiers. The AIFF is waiting for the AFC to green light the proposal as a short-term solution.
That means the I-League remains India’s top competition but only for so long as the AIFF’s commercial partners don’t want to change it.
Before signing this deal and despite being financially stressed, the AIFF had negotiated with its current partners for almost one year. It had set up a task force comprising senior members of the executive committee --- some of whom are still key officials --- to scrutinise the terms of engagement before the agreement that included the possibility of the I-League being thrown off its top perch was ratified.
Problem is, IMGR was blinded by the commercial success of IPL, and pictured themselves in the place of BCCI. But they forgot the sport is football and did not factor in FIFA and AFC.
It is to be seen how AFC/ FIFA view ISL with its inherent contradictions and allow them. Which will open floodgates of new short leagues around the world and create chaos.
In USA, American Football is a very popular sport. NFL (National Football League) is a very popular league with a near monopoly over the sport. Over the years, it faced challenges with other leagues of the same sport. How it overcome or crushed the opposition and remained a monopoly?
1) American Football League AFL came up to challenge the monopoly of NFL and took away many good players. Because of better players, AFL teams gained more traction and popularity with fans. NFL top brass became worried and surrendered. They got together and merged themselves with AFL and got into two conferences and Super Bowl format. Even now the franchises of AFL are among the most popular teams of America.
2) World Football League was formed. WFL came up from smaller cities and they failed to get proper television deals as NFL monopoly controlled TV networks too. WFL collapsed because of lack of revenue and NFL continues as monopoly.
3) United States Football League USFL. This one was most interesting. USFL owners were rich and competing for the same cities where NFL franchises were based. NFL pushed USFL for Spring season while they continued for Fall season. Everyone knew that Fall season is the best time to play as well as for tv viewership, so NFL took the best months of the year. TV Networks were in control of NFL, all big 3 ABC, NBC, Fox. NFL connived with TV networks to refuse the USFL slots in Fall season. I think ABC only gave 1 million dollars to USFL while they were giving around 350 million dollars to NFL for TV coverage. The matter went to court, litigation and even though it was proved that NFL was the wrong party, there was an antitrust defamation suit, hardly any financial compensation was given to USFL. USFL closed down because of less revenue and wrong time of the year (Spring) where it was forced to play due to connivance of NFL, TV channels.
These events happened in USA in the decades of 1960s, 1970s 1980s. Parallels can be drawn in modern times with what ISL is doing to I-League. Put NFL in place of ISL and all other leagues such as I-League, Regional leagues, tournaments as AFL, WFL, USFL. Three possible scenarios- merge, collapse or court - everytime NFL was the victorious. Scenario 1 (AFL) was offered to BFC, MB and EB. While BFC agreed to it,
MB and EB has taken up Scenario 3 and they can see what happened to
USFL. For small town clubs like Aizawl FC, Shillong Lajong, Minerva
Scenario 2 awaits them.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has given the Indian Super League (ISL) the recognition the franchise-based competition didn’t have in its first three editions. It’s official: there will be two football leagues in India from 2017-18.The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has green-lighted the proposal of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and with it given the Indian Super League (ISL) the recognition the franchise-based competition didn’t have in its first three editions.The letter of consent reached AIFF on Wednesday from AFC’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and has been signed by its general secretary Dato Windsor John, HT has learnt.The decision comes one day before the AIFF again meets representatives of I-League clubs.The approval from the AFC though made it clear that this is a temporary solution without specifying a time frame by when it must change. Fifa too has been informed about this, the letter stated.So, at least for this season, the I-League champions will represent India in the 2019 Asian Champions League qualifiers. Should the 2017-18 I-League winners fail to qualify --- no Indian club has so far --- they will get an automatic berth in the AFC Cup, the continent’s second-tier tournament.The winners of the 10-team ISL that will run for five months beginning November will get an AFC Cup qualifying slot. Till 2016-17, it was given to the winners of the Federation Cup.The news of ISL getting the AFC Cup qualifiers’ slot will come as good news for Bengaluru FC who have so far been the only Indian club serious about the competition. It has been reported that Bengaluru FC had hinged their joining ISL on this.Having emerged runners-up last year, Bengaluru FC have made the zonal semi-finals this time and will play North Korea’s 4.25 SC (April 25 Sports Club) home and away in August and September.
Comments
A Different Twist to the Entire Story
http://www.hindustantimes.com/football/possibility-of-i-league-not-being-india-s-top-flight-has-existed-since-2010/story-xGFL5qxtddaAtsWcP4YzKK.htmlPossibility of I-League not being India’s top-flight has existed since 2010
As per a clause in the agreement between IMG-Reliance and the All India Football Federation, the former has the right to ‘reorganise’ or ‘reconstitute’ the Indian top-flight, or even ‘establish’ an entirely new league in its place, HT has learnt
Even before the Indian Super League (ISL) kicked off in 2014, the I-League could have been replaced by one created by the commercial partners of the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF). This is a cross the AIFF has had to bear since 2010, when it signed a commercial agreement with IMG-Reliance.
In the contract between IMG-Reliance and the AIFF, a part about the league structure reads: “…the league which the Company (sic) intends to establish as the most senior and prestigious football league in India (in consultation with the AIFF as contemplated under this Agreement) whether by way of reorganising or reconstituting any existing Competition (sic) (such as the I-League) or the establishment of an entirely new league….” HT has a copy of this.
So, would the AIFF’s commercial partners be within their rights should they want to position ISL as that ‘entirely new league’? Speaking over the phone from New Delhi, AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said he could not comment as it would breach the confidentiality clause. Das had joined the governing body a little over a month before the 15-year agreement worth Rs 700 crore was signed on December 9, 2010.
“The AIFF has been plain lucky that its current commercial partners haven’t exercised this right,” said a long-serving AIFF official, requesting anonymity given the sensitive nature of the issue.
One former federation official said the idea of a separate league germinated before IMG-Reliance came on board subsuming most of the previous marketing agreement AIFF had signed in 2005.
“The success of the first Indian Premier League (IPL) got a lot of marketing people thinking about short leagues and the AIFF’s former partners did explore the possibility of holding one,” he said. But the official said he didn’t remember this being in the old deal. Another former AIFF official too said as much. Neither wanted to be quoted because during their time at AIFF they were not authorised to speak on this.
For this term, the ISL is seeking a qualifying berth for the 2019 AFC Cup. It has been mentioned in the AIFF’s proposal to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The AIFF has also asked that the 2017-18 I-League champions be given the right to represent India in the Asian Champions League qualifiers. The AIFF is waiting for the AFC to green light the proposal as a short-term solution.
That means the I-League remains India’s top competition but only for so long as the AIFF’s commercial partners don’t want to change it.
Before signing this deal and despite being financially stressed, the AIFF had negotiated with its current partners for almost one year. It had set up a task force comprising senior members of the executive committee --- some of whom are still key officials --- to scrutinise the terms of engagement before the agreement that included the possibility of the I-League being thrown off its top perch was ratified.
It is to be seen how AFC/ FIFA view ISL with its inherent contradictions and allow them. Which will open floodgates of new short leagues around the world and create chaos.
Also EB-MB match popularity is not the right barometer to brush league popularity.
For me that NFL leagues season of 95-96, 96-97 and at the most till 99 were amazing post that AIFF lost the plot.
there were teams like JCT, FC Cochin, Mahindra, Tollygunge and Mohammedan all part of the top league which had decent support
1) American Football League AFL came up to challenge the monopoly of NFL and took away many good players. Because of better players, AFL teams gained more traction and popularity with fans. NFL top brass became worried and surrendered. They got together and merged themselves with AFL and got into two conferences and Super Bowl format. Even now the franchises of AFL are among the most popular teams of America.
2) World Football League was formed. WFL came up from smaller cities and they failed to get proper television deals as NFL monopoly controlled TV networks too. WFL collapsed because of lack of revenue and NFL continues as monopoly.
3) United States Football League USFL. This one was most interesting. USFL owners were rich and competing for the same cities where NFL franchises were based. NFL pushed USFL for Spring season while they continued for Fall season. Everyone knew that Fall season is the best time to play as well as for tv viewership, so NFL took the best months of the year. TV Networks were in control of NFL, all big 3 ABC, NBC, Fox. NFL connived with TV networks to refuse the USFL slots in Fall season. I think ABC only gave 1 million dollars to USFL while they were giving around 350 million dollars to NFL for TV coverage. The matter went to court, litigation and even though it was proved that NFL was the wrong party, there was an antitrust defamation suit, hardly any financial compensation was given to USFL. USFL closed down because of less revenue and wrong time of the year (Spring) where it was forced to play due to connivance of NFL, TV channels.
These events happened in USA in the decades of 1960s, 1970s 1980s. Parallels can be drawn in modern times with what ISL is doing to I-League. Put NFL in place of ISL and all other leagues such as I-League, Regional leagues, tournaments as AFL, WFL, USFL. Three possible scenarios- merge, collapse or court - everytime NFL was the victorious.
Scenario 1 (AFL) was offered to BFC, MB and EB. While BFC agreed to it, MB and EB has taken up Scenario 3 and they can see what happened to USFL. For small town clubs like Aizawl FC, Shillong Lajong, Minerva Scenario 2 awaits them.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has given the Indian Super League (ISL) the recognition the franchise-based competition didn’t have in its first three editions.
It’s official: there will be two football leagues in India from 2017-18.The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has green-lighted the proposal of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and with it given the Indian Super League (ISL) the recognition the franchise-based competition didn’t have in its first three editions.The letter of consent reached AIFF on Wednesday from AFC’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and has been signed by its general secretary Dato Windsor John, HT has learnt.The decision comes one day before the AIFF again meets representatives of I-League clubs.The approval from the AFC though made it clear that this is a temporary solution without specifying a time frame by when it must change. Fifa too has been informed about this, the letter stated.So, at least for this season, the I-League champions will represent India in the 2019 Asian Champions League qualifiers. Should the 2017-18 I-League winners fail to qualify --- no Indian club has so far --- they will get an automatic berth in the AFC Cup, the continent’s second-tier tournament.The winners of the 10-team ISL that will run for five months beginning November will get an AFC Cup qualifying slot. Till 2016-17, it was given to the winners of the Federation Cup.The news of ISL getting the AFC Cup qualifiers’ slot will come as good news for Bengaluru FC who have so far been the only Indian club serious about the competition. It has been reported that Bengaluru FC had hinged their joining ISL on this.Having emerged runners-up last year, Bengaluru FC have made the zonal semi-finals this time and will play North Korea’s 4.25 SC (April 25 Sports Club) home and away in August and September.