Record five bids for I-League; no ISL reserves in 2nd and 3rd divisions

There was good news and bad news in decisions announced by the league committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday. The good news: the I-League pyramid will grow with a third division, a second tier will be added to the Indian Women’s League (IWL) and, in a first since bids began to be invited over 10 years ago, five clubs want to be part of this season’s I-League first division.

Companies have bid to field teams from Varanasi, Delhi, Bengaluru, Gurugram and Bhaini Sahib Village in Ludhiana district, AIFF said. This is proof of interest in the second tier of the men’s game now that it is a pathway to the Indian Super League (ISL). Depending on the strength of the bid, the number of teams in 2023-24 I-League first division will be decided. I-League champions Bengaluru FC and Minerva FC had also entered the competition after bidding successfully.

The bad news: ISL reserve teams will not be allowed in the I-League’s second and third divisions meaning an even shorter season for many players. Last term, six ISL reserve teams played in the I-League second division which gave them an additional six to eight games.

Shaji Prabhakaran, the AIFF secretary-general, said the decision was taken because I-League clubs felt reserve teams eroded competitiveness. “They can’t advance to the final round and often not every group has a reserve team. That made the competition lopsided,” he told HT over the phone from New Delhi. Also, ISL teams can play in a development league, he said, referring to the Reliance Foundation Development League where 59 teams took part in 2022-23.

The 23-24 I-League second division will have eight teams: Kolkata’s United SC, FC Bengaluru United and Mumbai’s Ambernath United Atlanta FC – all of whom played the final round but didn’t qualify to I-League 1 – Mumbai Kenkre and Sudeva Delhi, who were relegated, and three teams from the third division. The third division will comprise winners of state leagues and teams nominated by states, AIFF said.

Promotion and relegation will also be introduced to IWL. The 23-24 top tier will have eight teams, half of last term. The top four from each of the two groups will get automatic entry, AIFF said. The bottom two will be relegated. The second division will comprise state champions with the top two being promoted to the 2024-25 IWL first division.