Clubs take control as ISL returns with renewed hope
Panaji: From a league that kicked off, amid much uncertainty, four months behind schedule last season, the start of the Indian Super League (ISL) on Saturday feels like a new beginning. There will be home and away games, most matches will be on weekends, sponsors are back and for the first time, the fate of the top tier football league is in the hands of the biggest stakeholders.The clubs have come together through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to buy the commercial rights. In the 13-year history of ISL and 30 years since the Cups made way for a semi-professional National Football League (NFL), this is a significant first.All this at a time when clubs have gone through turbulent times.Till three days ago, Inter Kashi FC did not have a single player registered with them; their home venue was also in a state of flux. Waiting for ownership to change hands, Kerala Blasters had also not started training. Jamshedpur FC shut shop and Churchill Brothers bought their license in a historic transfer. After a political setback, West Bengal-based Diamond Harbour didn’t have the money to pay the participation fee and were relegated even before the season’s fixtures were announced.“It’s a brand new start,” said Ravi Puskur, FC Goa CEO and member of the ISL managing committee. “The structure of the competition does not change, but what changes is the implementation, the ideology, and the thinking behind some of the things that we may get to see on and off the screen.”It’s not been easy putting everything together, said Puskur. All these years, clubs were jostling for control, trying to get one past the other. Now, competitors have become collaborators. “When there are 13 people in the room for decision making, it’s never easy to gain consensus, to seek approvals.”Still, everyone’s looking at the top tier league with renewed hope.Maybe it’s the way the clubs have put the sport above everything else. For a start, 68% of the games will be played on weekends, and all games will be available to watch for free, in India and abroad.“At the beginning of the season, everyone is excited, there’s plenty of hope,” said Mumbai City coach Manolo Marquez, the Spaniard speaking with the experience of someone who’s into his seventh season in India. “It’s very, very difficult to predict who will be in the top six (for playoffs). There are two or three teams with big possibilities (to make it to the top), but lot of teams will be fighting to qualify.”Defending champions East Bengal and Mohun Bagan SG will start overwhelming favourites to finish on top and pocket the lone continental spot. At a time when others have cut cost, the Kolkata giants have spent the most on strengthening their squads. Not surprisingly, they took turns in winning the two pre-season tournaments: Durand Cup and IFA Shield.No other team came close. In fact, six of the 13 teams have not played a competitive game this season, while FC Goa played a single-leg AFC Champions League Two playoff, which they lost away in Turkmenistan.“Most of the teams are in a similar situation,” said Manolo. “We knew when we started the preseason that there would be this long FIFA window (and national team players would be unavailable). This is not an excuse. Obviously, it would be better if everyone is in the same condition, but I repeat, it is what it is.”
