It's right, EB MB have no one else to blame for not submitting bids. If they weren't going to pay franchise fee why pick the bid documents in the first place? The actual reason was probably having not enough time to rope in more sponsors and EB renegotiating with UB Group. We will see what happens next season. IMGR would be stupid not to have EB MB in the long run.
There are atleast 6 club's who should walk in the top flight on merit and due to consistent performance in top flight....when aiff has been consistently shouting from rooftops that I league is top flight, how could they allow player draft without finalising team's for top flight. What gives them the right to allow a marketing partner to guarantee better and prime time slots for a pvt league and only 60% of matches telecast of "top flight" that too on some random channel?? No " marketing partner" should be able to dictate so much to national fed...and the point is important.
I see major conflict coming in only two places, Kolkata and North East. ATK will be in direct competition with EB MB which they would not like to be in. And NEUFC would have their support base cut into half of SLFC and AFC comes in. And if Neroca does a AFC in this year's I-League, that would just add to the drama in the seven sisters.
NorthEast United will have minimal competition from NorthEast region. Mizo people will support Aizawl and they could probably support both anyway, same in Shillong.
@deepakc They were hired as marketing and commercial partners to make the most money they can, that is literally their job. The AIFF gave them that right.
Extract Max revenue yes...but they cant play with a merit and destroy an ecosystem....if money was only citeria...why not try and get dhanush/hritik/alia to dance on ground during halftime and also host indian idol by having a break in football every 10 minutes?? (which is a joke anyway with 37 year olds barely able to walk in indian heat & footballers who have retired from football winning best newcomer awards)....that argument doesn't hold Rohan no matter how hard u try....anyways this discussion is going nowhere...
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Sky is a prime example. What does that got to do with Top flight or not. Unless u really do believe ISL will not be a top flight anytime soon.