Ever since the advent of the Indian Super League, the question on everyone’s mind is whether this ISL is the answer to INDIA’s football woes? There have I have two views about this question so let us look at both sides of the coin with this.
– It might be one of the many solutions, but definitely not enough to end India’s soccer woes.
1. ISL is based on the franchise system.
Major soccer leagues around the world follow the relegation method and have a second order league and level B clubs. This ensures a proper football ecosystem is maintained at all the times and at all the levels. It is a great platform for talented young players to showcase their skills and make way to the first division.
Being a franchise system, ISL is not really able to trickle down to the lowest level. You will not find a club in your city which is say an offshoot of your ISL team.
2. Improving soccer at the grassroots is more essential.
ISL is not the solution to create world class soccer players in India. What we need is the work at grassroots. Training young kids, development of world class facilities and resources and ensuring a proper supply of funds are just a few things that we should focus to improve the state of soccer in our country.
ISL and its franchisees do have grassroots initiatives but they should be focussed and sustained.
3. Overall quality of game in ISL needs to improve.
Some of my friends who are die hard soccer followers say that the game played in ISL is merely 5% better than that at the I-League. If this continues for the next couple of seasons in a row, we are sure to leave many people disappointed.
Of course, conceptualizing and executing a football league in a cricketing nation is in itself revolutionary. But at the same time, we need to ensure that it is sustained properly and is proved effective.
– Yes, it will end the football woes of India
Look what MLS(Major League Soccer of US) was few years back. It started in the same way by recruiting ageing stars as marque palyers and with the influx of aging stars like Beckham, Henry etc its popularity soared. They are now benefitting from it.
US soccer team did brilliantly in recent world cup(went past group stages).
In the past few years it has become a trend for premier league stars to play in MLS after they age 35 or so. And during the off season they often come and play in bigger leagues to maintain there fitness.
Due to these big stars the tournament as a whole gets noticed and in the process the domestic players. Look at Chicharito(although Mexican), he was recruited from a MLS club and went on to play champions league final in his very first year for Manchester United. He now plays for Real Madrid.
One more advantage is the exposure which Indian players get while playing with big world cup winning stars like Metarazzi.
Recently Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger talked about ISL in one of his interviews. This means that the ISL is already getting noticed and you may see one of our very own Indian players playing for a Champions League team in few years.
All in all, it may or may not be the ultimate solution to India’s football woes but it might certainly be a step towards the solution.