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Nine I-League teams have written to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and All India Football Federation (AIFF) requesting it to confirm whether the champions of next I-League, i.e. of the 2022-23 season, will be promoted to Indian Super League (ISL) as it was promised during the meeting regarding the roadmap for Indian football clubs in October 2019. Major I-League club representatives, AIFF and AFC officials were present in the meeting in Kuala Lumpur. Since promises are meant to be broken and Indian football administrators have a habit of following this proverb, the I-League clubs have asked AIFF to confirm where they would follow the roadmap as chalked out in 2019.
This clubs, which includes current I-League champions Gokulam Kerala FC, have raised several points in their letter. It said the meeting decided that, a) “as a special compensation to India, the AFC will allow the winning ISL clubs to represent India in the AFC Champions League group stage and the I-League winners will represent India in the AFC Cup group stage. b) Another key recommendation by the AFC is to open a pathway for two I-League clubs entry into the ISL by the end of the 2020-21 season subject to the criteria being fulfilled. c) In addition, starting with the 2022-23 season, the winner of the I-League will stand a chance to be promoted to the ISL with no participation fee, on the basis of fulfilling the sporting merit and the national club licensing criteria to be set out by the AIFF.”
The clubs said that some of these recommendations have already been fulfilled. However, they are keen to know whether the criteria regarding the promotion of I-League champions to the ISL will be done as per the road map. They have reasons to feel sceptical as some people’s apathy towards the I-League is well known in the football circle. So far, neither the AFC nor the AFC have given a reply though AIFF officials, it is believed, have unofficially confirmed the promotion and relegation will be done as it was promised in the roadmap.