Bigger, longer but still unpredictable

INDIAN SUPER LEAGUE 4 Having played the AFC Cup, newcomers Bengaluru FC may have the early advantage this time

NEW DELHI: It has not been a smooth ride for domestic football since the Indian Super League (ISL) began in 2014. The disruptor, according to All India Football Federation president Praful Patel, has got new investors and fatter pay cheque sf or some players but has also led to reduction in employment opportunities for many footballers.

That was because the ISL would precede the I-League --still the country’ s most important competition even though it offers less prize money and isn’t marketed and televised as well as IS L --- and a number of Indian players would play in both.

This season things have changed. The bigger and longer ISL4 will run simultaneously with I-League for four months. With Star Sports, an ISL stakeholder, being the official broadcaster for both leagues, ISL has more prime time kick-off timings.

ISL received a shot in the arm when twice I-League champions Bengaluru FC jumped ship. It gave the IS Lone of the more market able brands in domestic football. They were joined by new team Jamshedpur FC, owned by the Tata Group.

The cherry on top is a spot in the 2019 AFC Cup qualification rounds for ISL winners. Previously reserved for the Federation Cup champions, this was the Asian governing body’s way of re cog ni sing the league that is the brain child of the A IF F’ s commercial partners.

ISL4 will also see most teams making wholesale changes. Champions ATK have decided the Spanish inputs that fetched them two titles needed a re-look, opting for a British feel. Among the eight franchises that played the first three seasons, only Mumbai City FC have retained their coach.

Ben gal uru FC go in with probably the most settled line-up and coaching staff and having played in the AFC Cup this term should help them settle down. They lost Eugene son Lyn gd oh to AT K but recruited Gurpreet Sing hand spent ~6.01 crore in the players’ draft. FC Pune City’s spending of ~3.63 crore was the lowest.

FC Pune City and Kerala Blasters have the strongest squads. Because the league will be longer, teams have mostly opted for youth.

Indian coaches will play second fiddle. Even the seasoned Derrick Pereira will assist a much younger Spaniard Sergio Lobera at FC Goa.