<b style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; ">Official Discussion: AIFF to talk to I-League clubs over IMG's IPL-football project which involves I-League <i>players</i> but NOT I-League <i>teams</i>. </b><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; "><b><br></b></div><div><b style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-variant: normal; line-height: normal; ">Article: </b><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/Clubs-to-have-say-in-AIFFs-8-team-IPL-style-league/articleshow/15127384.cms</font></div><div><font face="Arial, Verdana" size="2"><br></font></div><div><hr><font face="Arial" size="2">So what do we all make of this? Personally (and I am surly not the only one) I am mad and pissed.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2">IMG said they would come in and fix the I-League and Indian Football but instead what they have done is force the I-League to shorten the I-League and bring in this 2-month event which does not even involve the I-League teams at all. This is ludicrous and could not only mean lack of AFC Champions League but could threaten our position as a professional team and thus force us out of the AFC Cup. This would also lower interest in I-League which is exactly the opposite of what the IPFCA wanted. </font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2">They wanted a better I-League. They wanted a more marketable league. They wanted Indian football to rise (at least most of them do). Look at Prayag and how they created the hyped up super team and how they also got us Carlos Hernandez, the biggest signing in Indian football. Look at Pune FC and there professionalism. Look at Mumbai FC and there youth development. Look at the Goan and Kolkata teams. Look at the great East Bengal and Mohun Bagan matches that last season brought 90,000 people to the Salt Lake Stadium. Look at Baichung and United Sikkim. Look at Shillong and all there huge crowds.</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"><br></font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2">All of that would be gone just like that if IMG get there way.</font></div>
<br><br>Why is AIFF rushing into this IPL-ball? Is it because they have no PR or Marketing power to attract corporate towards I-league?..do IMG have so much power over AIFF?.<br><br>For IMG, they can already see the money rolling in with all the ex Intl stars and a well packaged format. But the question is why rushed into this for the next season. Why not sit down with the clubs, cater to their concerns, and understand their view on this proposal.<br><br> All the clubs are concerned this will kill the I-league... it could be a very valid point...Consider this scenario if all the I-league clubs are happy with the IPL-ball then its fine but if there is objection then AIFF have come up with a Solution.<br><br> All said and done I-league is the representation of the country football, not the upcoming IPL-ball...<br><br> What happens to all non I-league players after the 2 month circus is over, where do they go? the marquee players will take their huge payoff and go.<br><br> Finally if the I-league clubs don’t see a future, why will they even have the clubs, I see a lot of them disbanding. It is imperative that the I-league concerns and addressed.AIFF _IMG cannot ride roughshod over their concerns..<br><br> I find it funny IMG love to talk IPL-ball but have no answer to the concerns of the Clubs on the viability of the I-league<br>
<font size="7" style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">AUGUST 6</font><div style="font-family: Arial, Verdana; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br></div><div><font size="2"><font face="Arial, Verdana">The date is out when aff-img guys will meet the club...thought the issue is gonna be parallel league to i0league it seems which is not great idea for me</font></font></div>
I thought we were going to turn I-League into Major League Soccer. You know 16 teams, 2 conferences and play-offs. I know I hated that idea as well as I though we should reduce teams, not add but this is even worse.<div><br></div><div>Not 1 club (ONE CLUB) will be in this league. Let me put it like this. Here are the goals for the IPFCA which the AIFF heard as well...</div><div><br></div><div>1) Promote and safeguard the common interests of clubs. (Well I dont see how IMG-AIFF help)</div><div><br></div><div>2) Popularize the I-League across India (No. Not even close)</div><div><br></div><div>3) Help make I-League sustainable and profitable. (Again, this idea of IMG's does nothing)</div><div><br></div><div>4) Encourage formation of new clubs (Yes, 100% IMG did that, just not in I-League and not with I-League teams)</div><div><br></div><div>5) Share best practices among member clubs (How, I mean AIFF seem to be talking but at the same time they are confused as well)</div><div><br></div><div>6) Get I-League teams into the AFC Champions League (If the league is shortened to 4 months (October, November, December, January) than we wont get into AFC Cup. </div>
Frankly speaking why dont IMG try to form the franchise league but only for U-23s rather than this will help the youngster to grow and also would not hamper the I-league schedule. Only U-23s should be wisely used so that they are not tired. <br>
I always somewhat supported IMG. I supported there American branch as they always seemed to have a 100% record when it came to leagues and organizing events in America and United Kingdom and obviously the IMG Academy impressed me. <div><br>I have always hated the Indian branch since around April but I also had a lot of hope which is why I said to have some trust in them. I was obviously wrong and now I hope that the I-League clubs take a stance. This is getting out of hand. I dont even know how we can do a 4-month league with 14 teams. We need 26 games and at least 8 months of a league in order to get AFC Champions League and I think the AFC Cup minimum is AFC Cup (that I need to check).</div>
this is almost sounding death bell for i-league clubs unless they form a rival league and get decent sponsors and deals.
<br><div><br></div><div>I suspect either that or maybe the I-League will say "Fuc* this, we are not going to lose money over this so lets go on hiatus" And basically we wont have a league at all. Which will probably help IMG more than anyone else. </div>
Who is the I-league executive?<div>Does the I-league have a collaborative agreement with IMG or does AIFF have it?</div><div>If it is the latter case then is I-league run by AIFF?</div><div>If it is neither of the last two then I-league clubs have the right to refuse their players from participating in such event.</div><div>This is a joke. IMG should focus on improving the foundations of the clubs in the I-league and making the I-league fully professional instead of starting some kind of fiesta. I mean the I-league does not even have an official website; that is how bad it is.</div><div>I prefer the european model for football teams in India than the US model. </div><div>The clubs and the tournaments that we have are rooted in deep tradition from the time of British occupation.</div><div>We can't just throw that away and start a 2 month diarrhea of football. Unlike cricket, football is exhausting and I don't know how IMG thinks that players can play continuously for two months.</div><div>ArsenalKid and I already went over how the I-league should be restructured. What are other people's opinions?</div><div>If IMG are worried about making money then what they should do is buy out some clubs in the I-league which don't have a proper sponsor and sell them for profits once a franchise sponsor like Infosys of Pepsi comes. Imagine those kind of sponsors and what attention that would bring to the team. IMG should focus on restructuring. They should spend their money to help infrastructure of some of these clubs. I mean for clubs in the northeast, it should be very cheap to buy land and build a stadium and training facilities there. That would help Indian football more than what they are currently proposing. Also, once I-league becomes professional, better players from overseas will start coming and we will get better coaches. This is what happened with the Thai League and Singapore league. Look where that has led those clubs like Chonburi FC and Singapore Armed forces. In those countries they are still having trouble getting great talent despite a better club structure but in India, if the I-League becomes comparable to the J-league or K-League, Kids would rush to become footballers. As Arsenalkid may have pointed out, the Rise of the Japanese NT corelates with the development of the J-League and now J-league is full of scouts from Europe. Imagine what would happen in India if we had similar development.</div><div><br></div><div>Shame on AIFF as the footballing body to even consider such a proposal from IMG let alone accept it and implement it.</div>
Comments
<br><div><br></div><div>I suspect either that or maybe the I-League will say "Fuc* this, we are not going to lose money over this so lets go on hiatus" And basically we wont have a league at all. Which will probably help IMG more than anyone else. </div>