Heavyweight clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal opted out of the Indian Super League due to disagreements with the All Indian Football Federation but its president Praful Patel hinted that things may change next season.
The Maidan ‘Big Two’ had openly blamed the AIFF supremo after their hopes of playing in the ISL were dashed, mainly on the issue of the waiver of franchise fee of Rs 15 crore.
But Patel said after a meeting with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee that things may change in the next season as this being a “bridging” year.
“Mohun Bagan and East Bengal hold India’s football legacy, they hold a great tradition. I have said it before that this is only a bridging year. No final decision has been taken yet,” Patel told reporters at the Nabanna.
The lucrative ISL may also take the sheen off the I-League after being accorded an official status but Patel thinks otherwise.
“I-League is still the No. 1 league and the most prestigious tournament of the country. The tournament will be of high level,” Patel said.
I-League will run concurrently with the ISL this season (2017-18).
With India hosting the U-17 World Cup, the season had to be shortened, Patel said.
“The season has been condensed from seven to five months because of the World Cup and as a consequence both the leagues will run simultaneously,” he said.
The President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Praful Patel visited the City of Joy yesterday to visit his daughter. Today he visited Nabanna to visit the chief minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss about the upcoming u17 World Cup.
Mr. Patel too visited the Salt Lake Stadium along with Eco Park where the U17 World Cup trophy would be kept. Along with that he also visited the Victoria Memorial where likely the FIFA delegates meeting would take place.
Followed by such visits, he held a meeting about the upcoming World Cup at ITC Sonar Bangla where Vice-president Subrata Dutta was also present.
Along the course of doing, meeting and especially saying many important things, he had the chance to visit some of the most 'happening' places of Kolkata--Nabanna, Victoria Memoria, ITC Sonar Bangla! Also good to know that he visits his daughter---a nice family man
This is something I hate from the AFC. Sometimes I feel the AFC is ran like some teenagers fantasy who only follows Europe, that everything has to be pretty much similar, if not exactly like it is over there.
Like why does the first division have to be 18 teams? Do they know which teams exactly or are they just simply being like "combine ISL and I-League" and be done with it because if that is the idea then we won't be in for a good time at all. Ideally, IMO, the AFC should want the AIFF to focus on having 1 league by 2018-19 with at least 10 teams and a maximum of 18. Whether that is the ISL being D1 or I-League or some mix or mash or whatever it is, that is how it should be done... especially when we have never had a national first division football league in India that has had more than 14 teams in one season in Indian football history.
Or of course this could be the Hindustan Times coming up with something out of its ass.
Also "said a stakeholder who is privy to the plan sent by Asia’s apex football body recently. The stakeholder requested anonymity as he is not authorised to talk to the media." Only in India do we get cunts like that.
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Heavyweight clubs Mohun Bagan and East Bengal opted out of the Indian Super League due to disagreements with the All Indian Football Federation but its president Praful Patel hinted that things may change next season.
The Maidan ‘Big Two’ had openly blamed the AIFF supremo after their hopes of playing in the ISL were dashed, mainly on the issue of the waiver of franchise fee of Rs 15 crore.
But Patel said after a meeting with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee that things may change in the next season as this being a “bridging” year.
“Mohun Bagan and East Bengal hold India’s football legacy, they hold a great tradition. I have said it before that this is only a bridging year. No final decision has been taken yet,” Patel told reporters at the Nabanna.
The lucrative ISL may also take the sheen off the I-League after being accorded an official status but Patel thinks otherwise.
“I-League is still the No. 1 league and the most prestigious tournament of the country. The tournament will be of high level,” Patel said.
I-League will run concurrently with the ISL this season (2017-18).
With India hosting the U-17 World Cup, the season had to be shortened, Patel said.
“The season has been condensed from seven to five months because of the World Cup and as a consequence both the leagues will run simultaneously,” he said.
Another report on the same topic
http://xtratime.in/find-out-why-praful-patel-met-the-chief-minister-of-west-bengal/
The President of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Praful Patel visited the City of Joy yesterday to visit his daughter. Today he visited Nabanna to visit the chief minister Mamata Banerjee to discuss about the upcoming u17 World Cup.
Mr. Patel too visited the Salt Lake Stadium along with Eco Park where the U17 World Cup trophy would be kept. Along with that he also visited the Victoria Memorial where likely the FIFA delegates meeting would take place.
Followed by such visits, he held a meeting about the upcoming World Cup at ITC Sonar Bangla where Vice-president Subrata Dutta was also present.
Along the course of doing, meeting and especially saying many important things, he had the chance to visit some of the most 'happening' places of Kolkata--Nabanna, Victoria Memoria, ITC Sonar Bangla! Also good to know that he visits his daughter---a nice family man
http://www.hindustantimes.com/football/asian-football-confederation-wants-unified-18-team-league-in-india/story-czkaqegbJdyIHzcQBceYcI.html#pq=TO9QUX
Like why does the first division have to be 18 teams? Do they know which teams exactly or are they just simply being like "combine ISL and I-League" and be done with it because if that is the idea then we won't be in for a good time at all. Ideally, IMO, the AFC should want the AIFF to focus on having 1 league by 2018-19 with at least 10 teams and a maximum of 18. Whether that is the ISL being D1 or I-League or some mix or mash or whatever it is, that is how it should be done... especially when we have never had a national first division football league in India that has had more than 14 teams in one season in Indian football history.
Or of course this could be the Hindustan Times coming up with something out of its ass.
Also "said a stakeholder who is privy to the plan sent by Asia’s apex football body recently. The stakeholder requested anonymity as he is not authorised to talk to the media." Only in India do we get cunts like that.