Two leagues will leave Indian football poorer

With the 10-team Indian Super League and I-League being held simultaneously from November 2017 to April 2018, there is massive turbulence in the Indian transfer market. The rules of recruitment have also changed. The 10 ISL franchises can now only field five foreigners in their playing XI and recruit a maximum of eight, instead of the previous 11.

If 12 Indian players, are hired by each of the franchises, it means about 120 will play in the ISL. This is besides the U-21 players, who can be retained in any number. Similarly if each of the 10 I-League clubs buy about 16 Indian players, some 160-170 players will be recruited. So about 300 Indian players will get employed and play competitive football for over four months, which is good for the players and was one of Baichung Bhutia’s Football Players Association of India’s demands.

With barely 50 to 60 players of calibre in the country, the quality of football in both leagues will suffer. This means the price tag of the international Indian players has increased tremendously.

For instance all of India’s major goalkeepers are with the ISL franchises, Debjit Mazumdar (Atletico de Kolkata), Karanjit Singh (Chennaiyan FC), Amrinder Singh (Bengaluru FC), T.P. Rehnesh (North East United), Laxmikant Kattaiman (FC Goa) and Albino Gomes (Mumbai City FC). Thus the I-League clubs have limited choice in selecting goalkeepers.

The piper calls the tune and IMG-Reliance are now asserting their financial power, with the All India Football Federation just compliant spectators. The ISL will have its draft next month and so the best Indian players will join the ten franchises. There is no level playing field, such as a salary cap or budget restrictions and the I-League clubs are getting step-motherly treatment.

The impact of this seismic change in Indian football is evident in the way the legacy clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have been decimated. Mohun Bagan’s star-studded team of the last three seasons is now bereft of quality players, as they also have sponsorship problems. They have already released their superstar overseas players, Sony Norde and Yusa Katsumi.

Goalkeeper Debjit ATK), defender Anas Edathodika and midfielders Souvik Chakraborty (Delhi Dynamos), Pritam Kotal (ATK) and striker Jeje Lalpekhlua (Chennaiyan FC) are with ISL franchises. Others like Pronoy Halder, Darryl Duffy and Kean Lewis may also quit.

East Bengal’s loss is equally severe. Twelve of their main players from last season have quit, joining the draft for the ISL. Both goalkeepers Rehnesh and Subashish Roy Chowdhury have left. Others who have departed are defenders Narayan Das, Rahul Bheke and Robin Gurung, midfielders Mehtab Hussein, Rowlin Borges, Jackiechand Singh, and Bikash Jairu and forwards Romeo Fernandez, Robin Singh and Haokip.

There has never been such an exodus from East Bengal, which will celebrate their centenary two years from now.

Both club managements are reassuring their legions of fans that they will build competitive teams for the new season. But the fans’ patience is being tested as the club managements have not modernised by roping in quality sponsors, improving sale of merchandise, marketing strategies and use of social media (though East Bengal are effective on Facebook). It is the season of change in Indian football.