Why the emergence of an elite triangle is not good news for ISL

The competitiveness of the top flight has increased but so has the gap between the top and bottom sides.

The Premier League ranks way above any other league in Europe due to one major reason: its competitiveness. Teams lying in the bottom half or mid-table positions regularly upset the ‘top 6,’ making every gameweek a feast for viewers. This happens in other leagues like LaLiga or the Bundesliga as well, but the frequency of such occurrences is less and far between. Telecast quality and outreach programs, too, have helped the Premier League create such a loyal fan-base worldwide. In its sixth season, the ISL is starting to develop a problem akin to the leagues other than England’s. It is the emergence of an elite few, that has started to make the league repetitious. Three teams, namely Bengaluru FC, ATK, and FC Goa, have looked dominating over others by a significant margin and it could be an unwanted vexation for the organizers of the league.  [KH_ADWORDS type="3" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS] ATK may have ended in sixth spot last season, but looking at the players they have got this term, this team will take some beating. FC Goa are reaping the benefits of a fixed style of football and right retentions under the aegis of Sergio Lobera, who was recently sacked. The Gaurs had finished second on the table last season, behind Bengaluru.  Bengaluru, clearly, have been the most consistent team in Indian football since their inception. In just two years after joining the ISL, the Blues have already lifted the title once and were runners-up in their debut season in 2017. This campaign as well, Bengaluru are among the top three (completed by Goa and ATK) and look on track for another place in the playoffs.  While strong teams always help in loyal fan-bases, the dichotomy lies elsewhere. An established order in leagues has always led to their gradual fall. The problem is even more tantalizing for a closed league like the ISL because the bottom half, then, has nothing to play for. Teams know that there is no promotion/relegation and will have no real motivation heading into a season.  [KH_ADWORDS type="4" align="center"][/KH_ADWORDS] Let’s take NorthEast United for instance. The team had never qualified for the knockouts until last season under Eelco Schattorie. After the Dutch manager jumped ships to Kerala Blasters, the Highlanders are back to ninth spot on the table. Their fan-base recently wrote an official letter to the management, asking for the plan ahead. It was, infact, the true reflection of not just NEUFC fans, but the dwindling numbers in most stadiums.  Due to very low numbers in stadiums, Delhi Dynamos shut shop and shifted to Odisha, re-branding themselves as Odisha FC, cutting costs. FC Pune City, too, shifted to Hyderabad. Kerala Blasters saw a dip midway through last season and other clubs, too, don’t see very high numbers. Except for Jamshedpur FC, all other clubs saw an average attendance of less than 18,000 last season, a worrying fact. This was the situation of the league when it was deemed ‘competitive.’ With the formation of an ‘internal elite,’ the numbers are set to reduce further for the clubs who will be playing for ‘pride.’ Mumbai City FC are now being run by the City Football Group and are set to strengthen massively come next season. On the other hand, after the departure of Sergio Lobera, FC Goa could see a dip until the next long-term project involves domestic and foreign players together brilliantly, just like Lobera’s did.  [KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News | Article Continues Below"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS] ATK are set to benefit from acquiring Mohun Bagan from next season and talks of Chennai City FC buying controlling stakes in Chennaiyin FC are also doing the rounds. This could well see another merger, but it is too early to say.  The credit for the trio's success in the ISL, however, goes to their management who have been successful with the retention of the core team and coaching staff. In recent seasons, these clubs have functioned at their optimum level, with good foreign recruitment and promotion of academy graduates. Good results are bound to come when the management is involved with the right implementation of policies and same has been the case with FC Goa, Bengaluru FC and ATK. The emergence of an elite, though, is bad news for the ISL. It will only see the already-dwindling numbers shrink further and it could be a worrying proposition for clubs who have to find sponsors every season. For India’s premier league, the dropping numbers will not be helped by this trend and they must redress it as soon as possible. It can only be helped by the rise of other power-centres, which can only be achieved by the right footballing minds supported by finances.