NEW DELHI: The ISL-I-League imbroglio which continues unabated, has led to the intervention of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
AFC Secretary Dato’ Windsor John met All India Football Federation (AIFF) secretary Kushal Das in Mumbai and asked for a clear cut road map for the next two seasons.
The AIFF tried to procrastinate as the concept of a unified league is now shelved. The solution offered was that for the next two seasons the ISL and I-League will be held simultaneously.
This compromise helps the AIFF salvage the situation as the AFC is not convinced that the ISL in its current form can be the premier league of the country.
The crisis has arisen because the AIFF has not been impartial in trying to resolve this dispute. Instead because of contractual obligations and financial benefits the AIFF is siding with the ISL franchises.
Apartheid in Indian football
Hence, a kind of apartheid system prevails in Indian football, with the I-League clubs feeling neglected and unwanted. Consequently, uncertainty prevails in the minds of the players and club officials.
Some of the consequences are disastrous. About 30 clubs have closed down from 2011-2019 and over 25 all-India tournaments have also shut shop in the last two decades. The players are also affected by this uncertainty and neglect.
Lanky central defender Salam Ranjan Singh played against Bahrain in India’s third group league match at the Asian Cup on January 14 this year. He was then representing East Bengal, but this season has opted for the Kolkata-based ISL franchise ATK to improve his chances of being regularly selected for the national team.
Ironically, he was not included in the Indian squad for both the 2nd Inter-Continental Cup in Ahmedabad in July and the World Cup qualifiers in September.
Uncertainty and neglect
Similarly, stocky striker Jobby Justin excelled for East Bengal last season and got a call up for the national squad in the Inter-Continental Cup in Ahmedabad.
He played in all three matches against Tajikstan, North Korea and Syria. Justin got desperate to join ATK and had a dispute with East Bengal over his contract. The Kerala-based Justin finally shifted to ATK as he felt that his international career would take off if he joined an ISL team.
Yet he was dropped from the squad in the World Cup Qualifiers vs Oman (September 5) and Qatar (September 10) as coach Igor Stimac preferred Manvir Singh for his work rate, ability to hold the ball and play with his back to the goal.
Imbroglio confuses players
Two seasons ago, agile goalkeeper Debjit Mazumdar shifted from Mohun Bagan to ATK as he felt it would help him fulfill his ambitions of playing for India.
Mazumdar was a regular in the Mohun Bagan playing XI and helped his club win the 8th I-League title in 2015 and Federation Cup in 2016. He barely got a chance to play for ATK, his form stagnated and he has now returned to Bagan. Mazumdar did not realise that European coaches whether Stephen Constantine or Stimac prefer goalkeepers who are well over six feet tall.
Both Salaam and Justin could meet with a similar fate. They could be warming the bench or play as substitutes for the next few seasons and their form would decline.
Dashing winger Nikhil Poojary and right-back Rahul Bheke had outstanding seasons with East Bengal in 2016-17. Yet Constantine ignored them for international matches. It is only when they shifted to the ISL that they got selected by Stimac for the national team this season.
National coaches select ISL players
The focus of the national coaches whether Constantine or Stimac is on the ISL. Stimac does admit that there are too many foreigners in the ISL especially in key positions and the pool of players from which he selects the national team is limited.
Stimac should have been allowed to witness the Durand tournament in August in Kolkata and should later watch I-League matches to unearth new talent. Players are also making wrong career choices because of subtle hints by agents that they should only opt for ISL franchises. This confusion prevails as the prevalent impression is that ultimately the AIFF will favour the ISL.
ISL stalled Indian coaches’ development
With the ISL franchises only opting for foreign coaches, the development of Indian coaches is also stalled.
Sanjoy Sen was emerging as one of India’s most promising coaches in his four seasons with Bagan. He guided them to the 8th I-League title in 2015 and finished runners-up in 9th and 10th I-Leagues respectively.
During his tenure, Bagan also won the Federation Cup (now defunct) in 2016 and were runners up a year later. He then shifted to ATK as an assistant coach due to the lure of money (Rs 5 lakhs a month) but got no responsibility and is now languishing.
Santosh Kashyap finished his pro license degree (spending his own money) three seasons ago and was hailed as a promising coach. However, since 2017 he does not have any coaching assignment. His last stint was with the now defunct I-League club, Mumbai FC.
So young players, clubs and domestic tournaments have become victims of this prolonged dispute between the ISL and I-League clubs.
