I-League clubs to meet on Monday to determine next course of action in battle with AIFF
The gathering comes just days before an executive committee meet of the apex body that is likely to rubber stamp the ISL as the country's top league.
I-League clubs spearheaded by Kolkata giants, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal will meet in the capital on Monday to decide their next course of action. The meeting comes close on the heels of news that the All India Football Federation is on the verge of announcing the Indian Super League as the "elite" division of the country.
Despite the inception of the ISL back in 2014, the top-most league of the country remained the I-League, with several top officials, including AIFF President Praful Patel assuring that the top flight's status will remain unchanged even in the future.
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However, things are now turning out differently, as a controversial clause in the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) signed between the AIFF, represented by then treasurer Hardev Jadeja and IMG Reliance, the marketing and commercial partner for the AIFF back in 2010, has come to light. The agreement clealry outlines the creation of a new league, which in this case is the ISL and it also states that the league will become the senior and most prestigious football league in the country in the future.
The Indian FA has now called for a meeting of its Executive Committee on July 3 to decide the roadmap of Indian football and also the fate of the I-League clubs. It is no surprise that club officials and fans are in a state of agitation against the move of the governing body.
A senior club official spoke to the Times of India regarding the issue as he said: “I cannot see any other way, besides approaching the court. What choice do we have? We wrote to the AFC and FIFA who made it clear that they had initiated a study and the report has already been submitted to the AIFF. That they chose to suppress the report because it favours the clubs is no secret."
Also Read: Report: AIFF set to accord top status to ISL
[KH_RELATED_NEWS title="Related News"][/KH_RELATED_NEWS]The situation was quite identical when three Goan clubs, Sporting Clube de Goa, Salgaocar FC and Dempo SC protested against the AIFF and pulled out from the I-League, citing the threat of making the ISL the top division of the country. Sporting Clube de Goa even documented a detailed complaint to FIFA and AFC, but both the governing bodies chose to remain relatively silent.
Beside Kolkata giants, East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, the meeting will also have representatives from Churchill Brothers, Minerva Punjab, Gokulam Kerala and Aizawl FC.
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