No clear path emerges in AFC meeting on ‘merger’

New Delhi: A much-hyped meeting in Kuala Lumpur, facilitated by the Asian Football Confederation to draw up a roadmap for Indian football turned out to be a damp squib as stakeholders failed to arrive at a consensus on the issue of merging the Indian Super league with the I-League.

The meeting was chaired by AFC general secretary Dato’ Windsor John and included representatives of the All India Football Federation, the sports ministry, I-League, ISL clubs as well as from Fifa and players’ representatives.

All contentious issues regarding the potential merger and future path were discussed, but nothing concrete came out of the meeting regarding the future of the two leagues and allotment of an AFC Cup playoff slot to the ISL.

Reportedly, the AFC was not keen on recognising the ISL as the country’s premier domestic league as it is “against a privately-managed tournament undermining the top division league”.

The AFC also believed to have denied an AFC Cup playoff spot to ISL as it is still neither the top division league of India. The AFC urged the AIFF to conduct a meeting with all I- League clubs for discussion. In a release the AFC stated, “The AIFF will decide the format for the short-term and there was an agreement around a road map to deliver medium and long-term plans in India through a detailed process.”