JOIN USAfter months of speculations and a series of meetings that saw all the stakeholders -- the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the Football Sports Development Limited, the I-League and the club owners -- it looks like the future roadmap for Indian football has all but taken shape.
As per AIFF sources, the 2017-18 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) and the I-League will run parallel to each other, beginning on November 15. The ISL will be a 10-team affair with the two new teams set to be announced on Monday. The I-League, meanwhile, will see the existing seven teams (Bengaluru FC is likely to be inducted into the ISL) and the newly promoted NEROCA FC fighting it out for the top honours.
“That’s the plan. It was discussed on Saturday, when president Praful Patel met representatives of Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and two other clubs,” a source close to the development said.
It is also learnt that the AFC Cup slot, which was awarded to the winner of the Federation Cup, will now to be awarded to the ISL winner while the AFC Champions League play-off slot will be awarded to the winner of the Super Cup. The Super Cup, scheduled to be be played in April 2018, will see top four teams from both the ISL and the I-League fighting it out in a knock-out competition.
“The continental slot distribution has been under deliberation for some time now. But now, after hearing all the parties, we have made this proposal to the clubs,” the source added.