I-League will be 16-team affair now

TNN, Jan 30, 2010


NEW DELHI: The I-League will be a 16-team affair from its next edition. It was decided at the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) executive committee meeting presided by president Praful Patel in the Capital on Friday. Currently it is a 14-team competition but to give it a more pan-Indian look, it was unanimously decided that two more teams will be added to the roster.

The two teams will get a direct entry and they will not be from West Bengal, Maharashtra or Goa. These states already have representative clubs in the tournament. It is most likely that one team each from south and central India will make the grade.

AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco said, "The idea is to spread the game so that it gets more attention from all parts of the country." However, the selection criteria of the teams will be decided later, the AIFF secretary said. The relegation of two teams and the promotion of two from the second division is going to stay.

It was also decided that players selected for the national team will not be allowed to play in the Santosh Trophy. The tournament has come under fire from national coach Bob Houghton as well as a few national team players as it imposes extra pressure on them.

Meanwhile, the AIFF is thinking to prune the foreigner presence in the I-League.

Although the status quo of three foreigners, one Player of Asian Origin and another of Indian Origin will retained in the current tournament, the PIO quota will be abolished from the next I-League, which is scheduled to start in September this year.

From 2011, the total foreign presence will be down to three including one Asian, to make a team eligible to play in the AFC Champions League.

Other decisions:

- All affiliated state associations to conform their statues in line with FIFA, AFC & AIFF constitution by Dec 2010.
- To have at least two dedicated venues for the AIFF to conduct competitions.
- All I-League clubs to meet club licensing criteria in the time frame to be issued by AIFF.

National camps to be held:

Senior team: 4th-26th Feb at Dubai; 24th Jun-15th Aug in Europe;

Asian Games team: 4th-14th Feb at Pune.

The team will participate in AFC Challenge cup in Sri Lanka from 15th Feb to 27th Feb. (TNN)

Related News:
Foreigners’ number to be pruned
National team players not to play Santosh Trophy: AIFF
HAL, ONGC to get direct entry?

Added by: Anselm Pio Noronha