Indian Super League: AIFF to declare ISL as India’s Premier Football Competition over I-League

Indian Super League is set to become India’s Premier League Football Competition over I-League. 

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have confirmed that the Indian Super League (ISL) will become India’s top flight league over the elderly I-League.

Over the last few decades, I-League was officially recognised as the nation’s premier football competition, but AIFF have shifted their allegiance to the new tournament. It is mainly down to the functionality of the league, which has satisfied the board.

“It’s in the contract (that ISL will be the top league). Initially, we felt that let the tournament happen and then we will see. After five years, we have to honour the contract. Let the executive committee decide,” said AIFF general secretary Kushal Das told the media.

The contract which Das mentioned is the Masters Rights Agreement (MRA) signed originally between AIFF and IMG-Reliance – which will now be signed between AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), a subsidiary of IMG-Reliance where Star is also a partner.

AIFF also granted FSDL the “full and unfettered right and ability to establish the ISL and to decide upon the format, rules, and structure of the ISL and the teams and players which will compete in it.” in the agreement that bagged AIFF Rs 700 crore, according to the report.

AIFF have been perplexing between these two leagues over the last few years. Initially, they stated that the I-League would be the premier tournament in India, although they have turned their avows upside down. However, it has changed after the AIFF had warned the I-League that it would be discontinued and another competition named League one with no marketing would be promoted in 2016.

With the Indian Super League set to become the superior league, the solitary AFC Champions League Playoffs spot will be offered to it’s winners with the Super Cup winners getting the AFC Cup slot. The Super Cup could also be extended to a new 20-team format from next season, but there is no proper clarity currently.