I-League: 1 Air India 2 Churchill Brothers 3 Dempo 4 East Bengal 5 Mohun Bagan 6 Mumbai FC 7 ONGC 8 Pailan Arrows 9 Prayag United 10 Pune FC 11 Salgaocar 12 Shillong Lajong 13 Sporting Clube de Goa 14 United Sikkim I-League 2nd Division: 1 Aizawl FC 2 Bhawanipore 3 Delhi United 4 DSK Shivajains 5 Eagles 6 George Telegraph 7 Green Valley 8 Hindustan FC 9 Josco 10 Kalighat Milan Sangha 11 Kenkre 12 KGF Academy 13 Kohima Komets 14 Langnsing 15 Luangmual 16 Mohammedan Sporting 17 Mumbai Tigers 18 PIFA 19 Rangdajied United 20 Royal Wahingdoh 21 Samaleswari 22 Simla Youngs 23 South United 24 Southern Samity 25 Techno Aryan 26 Vasco SC
26 teams in 2nd Dvision I dont think so, AIFF have made few changes to it so expect no more than 10-14 teams
I expect 8-10. The restrictions are just way to tough for anyone outside the I-League to fulfill really.
So what do you all think? Good idea? Bad Idea? I don't know much about Indian soccer save for the AIFF being apparently being a bunch of corrupt idiots, soccer having it's main following amongst wealthi(er) people (and mainly UEFA teams) and also that aside from Mou-Bag and Kingfisher apparently none of the I-League teams have any real draw. If it gains some following, it could only be good right? Although then again it does sound a little NASLy....
It will end up like the NASL... gone. The IMG-Reliance league first off will probably not even kick-off in January 2014 as their are not enough infrastructure for the league. In Mumbai they can play in the DY Patil Stadium but that is way to big for soccer in an area that does not have a good history of supporting the domestic game. And if you are going to bring in "stars" like Thierry Henry and David Beckham (like MLS has done) then you need better stadiums than the Salt Lake Stadium, Balewadi Stadium, Sree Stadium (Bangalore), and whatever we have in Kerala. Also I am scared to think about what their current plans are for training facilities and all that. These stars will not come for this. This is why the PLS in 2012 failed. Also, try having these stars play with a bunch of Indian players. That would be revolting. Also, I am guessing IMG-Reliance would like to take some MLS players on loan (it would be the "off-season"... also I would suspect J. League, K League etc as well) but I bet the MLS and Asian leagues would rather their players stay and train in pre-season (which begins in January/February) than go to India and play against guys who would be semi-pros/amateurs in the US, Japan, Korea etc. There best bet for foreigners is a bunch of retired folk and free agents. How many good, playable, and marketable players of these types are even left? Barely any.
The Mumbai Tigers and Mumbai FC might play their home games at 60,000 capacity DY Patil Stadium this season if they can agree about the rent and stuff like that. Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have serious plans to move to the 100,000 capacity Eden Gardens.
India needs a franchise soccer league, something like this, to cover more cities: 1 Mumbai Tigers 2 Delhi FC 3 Bengaluru FC 4 Hyderabad FC 5 Ahmedabad FC 6 Chennai FC 7 Mohun Bagan 8 East Bengal 9 Surat FC 10 Pune FC 11 Jaipur FC 12 Lucknow FC 13 Kanpur FC 14 Nagpur FC 15 Goa United 16 Shillong Lajong 17 United Sikkim 18 Kerala FC
These teams have serious plans to join the next I-League season: Chennai Rangers Delhi United Kochi Eagles Mumbai Tigers United Sikkim
I am very disappointed that the I League has only 13 teams for a nation of 1 .2 billion of inhabitants. Absolutely ridicolous !!!!
Yes. It upset me too. 13 teams in Major League is such a huge country like India is very bad. As I understand all teams retain the place in the I-League next year?
I think at this moment the clubs are still playing on the onus of two going down, but the expansion franchise teams can't get relegated which I think the former member clubs aren't happy with. There's also the possibility of more expansion clubs next year - QPR have talked about entering a team. Will Mumbai Tigers look to re-enter? Having a couple of promoted sides aswell, then relegation does look like it will happy in some form. I-League want to get to 16 clubs, so 3 spaces to fill. Two expansion, two promoted and one relegated might be the way. But, as in similar seasons, you never really know whats going to happen until the latter stages of the competition. Would like to see a bigger representation in India though - time to get out of Calcutta and Goan state - need a team from Delhi for Delhi.
Just to get the ball rolling... Surjya Chakraborty at SV Blankenese in the German 5th tier, a US-born son of Indian immigrants: http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/surjya-chakraborty/profil/spieler_235006.html Surjya Chakraborty in Germany Sadi Jalali & Gagan Dosanjh with FC Edmonton in NASL: http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/sadi-jalali/profil/spieler_189023.html http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/gagan-dosanjh/profil/spieler_103604.html
Harmeet Singh of Feyenoord has played in a friendly tournament for Norway, but is open to playing for India: http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/harmeet-singh/profil/spieler_62125.html http://www.dagbladet.no/2012/12/02/sport/harmeet_singh/fotballandslaget/fotball/24644275/ Furdjel Narsingh of PEC Zwolle in the Eredivisie has Indian heritage (but I think he'd have to give up his Dutch passport to play for India): http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/furdjel-narsingh/profil/spieler_64355.html http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/06/08/top-5-current-footballers-of-indian-origin/ Dutch youth international Rajiv van La Parra has Indian ancestry (ditto on the Dutch passport): http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/rajiv-van-la-parra/profil/spieler_77001.html http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dut...escent-books-llc/1103604672?ean=9781156887455 Swedish youth international Sandeep Mankoo: http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/sandeep-mankoo/profil/spieler_142971.html http://www.footballzz.com/jogador.php?id=265003 Malvind Benning of FC Walsall in England's League One: http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/malvind-benning/profil/spieler_210545.html Amardeep Singh of KVK Tienen in Belgium: http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/amardeep-singh/profil/spieler_92092.html Karanveer Grewal of Asker FH in Norway: http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/karanveer-grewal/profil/spieler_221730.html
waste of time to provide a list, India could be potentially very strong if they allow dual citizenship but they dont... but just imagine though, if they did, a mix of abroad and home based players... what a team.
Bengaluru fc won the 2013-14 I-league championship http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities...ngaluru-fcs-victory-parade/article5960283.ece