Benglauru FC pick up bid documents for ISL

Bengaluru: Bengaluru FC have picked up a bid document for the Indian Super League, it was confirmed on Friday.

While the I-League side has shown interest in a Bengaluru franchise, much of a potential move to the ISL depends on the All India Football Federation’s ability to get AFC Cup or AFC Champions League playoff spot for the tournament.

The Sunil Chhetri-led side created history by becoming the I-League champions in their first time of asking before adding more glory to their name by becoming the first Indian team to reach the AFC Cup final last season.

The JSW-owned side, who had picked up the document two years ago, have always maintained that they are willing to join ISL, but only if it is the top division in the country and has a continental competition place available in it.

So far, AIFF has been unable to get an AFC approval for their plans, but it remains to be seen how the Indian football landscape will pan out over the next season.

Following the decision to keep the merger plans for the two leagues — I-League and ISL — on hold after Aizawl FC’s title win, the Football Sports Development Limited invited bids to add more clubs to the ISL on Thursday.

FDSL has invited bids from potential owners in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cuttack, Durgapur, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Ranchi, Siliguri and Thiruvananthapuram, with contingencies in case a bid from Kolkata is successful.

The bidding group will need to meet all the required criteria mentioned in the document, including business model and grassroots plans, and submit it by May 25.

According to the ITB, one (01) to three (03) winning bidders shall be awarded the right to participate in the forthcoming ISL.