Aizawl FC will probably win India’s premier league (I-league) title. They lead Mohun Bagan by three points going into the last game of the season, so all they have to do is win or draw, or have Mohun Bagan lose or draw. Much more is on the line, however, than just the championship and subsequent entry into a qualification round for the AFC Champions League.
#HeroILeague: #AizawlFC sits at the #TOP after #Round17. One more match to go for each #Team. #AizawlFC vs #ShillongLajong on #April30 pic.twitter.com/6xDG1qGcZi
— AIR News Aizawl (@airnews_aizawl) April 24, 2017
Since its inception in 2014, The Indian Super League (ISL) has had designs of merging with the I-league to streamline the domestic football system in India. Currently, ISL features eight teams that play 14 games from October to December, culminating in a four team playoff. The I-League, operating in its current from since 2007, picks up in January with 10 teams playing home and away matches through the end of April.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its exclusive commercial sponsor IMG Reliance would like to promote a joint league that achieves scale in player development, team sponsorships, and fan support. Several domestic players now compete in both leagues, and youth teams are sparse and poorly funded.
The incentives of a proposed merger are clear, but most I-League team officials view it as more of a takeover. The AIFF wants the new top flight league to consist of all eight ISL teams in addition to three prominent I-League teams. Mohun Bagan, along with East Bengal and Bengaluru FC, makes the cut, but Aizawl would likely be left out.
Annual sponsorships for ISL teams, just shy of $3 million on average, exceed those of I-league teams, although the ISL struggled last season with declining attendance figures. The I-League has had its own operational challenges, with four teams folding in the last nine years.
AIFF and IMG-Reliance seem to think that aligning with the ISL teams is the best path forward for professional soccer in India. Many high profile domestic figures own ISL teams, including all-time cricket greats Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. In addition to its deep pockets and celebrity appeal, ISL has focused more on signing aging foreign stars to command higher TV ratings than the I-League.
Still, I-League teams have history and loyal fans on their side—Mohun Bagan was founded in 1889, and relatively young club Aizawl still has a thirty year head start on the new ISL franchises. One factor frustrating established I-league sides is a proposed hold on relegation for at least a few years. Without the prospect of joining the newly formed top league in the short-term, clubs like Aizawl are unlikely to agree to indefinite second-division competition.
With the AIFF struggling to reach an agreement between ISL and I-League owners, Aizawl could poke yet another hole in the organization’s plan. Excluding the most recent I-League champion would delegitimize the top flight league before it even begins.
Mohun Bagan are ahead on goal differential, so they still have a chance.
An agreement already appears to be unlikely for the 2017-2018 league seasons, but one can imagine that AIFF and IMG Reliance officials are hoping that the clock will strike midnight on Aizawl’s cinderella season.
Related: India's Super League Started Its Second Season With A Bang
Photo: @SouravGangulyCo | Twitter
