Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia said on Tuesday that a merger of the newly floated Indian Super league (ISl) and the long-running I-league is neither going to happen nor was it advisable.
“The first season of ISl was a huge success and I want it to be better in season 2. But I don’t see it (ISl merging with I-league) happening. ISl is a three-month long tournament and has attracted some very big names like Roberto Carlos. I don’t want ISl to merge with I-league,” said the ‘Sikkimese Sniper’ here at a media conference to announce DHl as the official logistics and timing partner of ISl.
Earlier this month, All-India Football Federation (AIFF) President Praful Patel said, after a joint meeting with I- league clubs and ISl organisers — IMG-Reliance — that a united league was the way forward but it would take some time to happen. Faced with the prospect of closure of two Pune-based I-league teams, AIFF decided to form a working group as a precursor to merge the two championships.
“We are working towards one entity in future — the I-league clubs and the ISl. A working group will be formed, about nine members, to work out the way,” Patel had said after the meeting that was held to lay the roadmap for the domestic club league.
Bhutia sympathised with the predicament of the two Pune-based I-league clubs, Pune FC and Bharat FC, who are thinking of shutting shop in the near future. “I can understand their position. It’s not easy as sponsorship is difficult to get. I-league does not get the kind of TV viewership and mileage like ISl,” said the 38-year-old star footballer.
Bhutia wanted the state associations, ISl and I-league clubs to focus on grassroots development. “The responsibility lies with the stakeholders, including the state associations, which play big roles. The federation does not control players.
The state associations should be more active but 90-95 per cent of them don’t do much in development of grassroots which is also the responsibility of I-league clubs and ISl clubs,” he stated.