It’s official: Football to have two leagues now

The glamorous Indian Super League has received official recognition from the Asian Football Confederation, which will allow the All India Football Federation to host the I-League and the ISL simultaneously in the 2017-18 season.

The AIFF has received an AFC letter signed by its general secretary Dato Windsor John, according to reports, which permits the ISL-winning team eligible to represent India in an AFC Cup qualifying slot, the continent’s second-tier competition.

The AFC has said that the arrangement is temporary and told all Indian football’s stakeholders to formulate a long-term plan.

“It’s a stop-gap arrangement. The AIFF will plan a single league from the next year,” an AIFF official said on condition of anonymity.

The franchise-based league, which started in 2014, didn’t have AFC recognition so far.

The promoters of the ISL, Football Sports Development Limited, also the marketing partners of the AIFF were pitching for the tournament’s recognition for sometime now.

The new arrangement allows the I-League champions to represent India in the Asian Champions League qualifiers.

But if they fail to qualify for the Champions League, they will get an automatic berth in the AFC Cup.

Bengaluru FC, who had reached the AFC Cup final last year, have decided to play in the ISL this year and have qualified for the zonal semi-finals in the current edition, drawn to play against North Korea’s 4.25 SC.

The ISL has been expanded into a 10-team contest with Bengaluru and Tata Football Academy winnings bids to field teams.

Earlier, the Federation Cup champions were eligible to represent India in the AFC Cup qualifiers.

No official world is also forthcoming on the status of the so called “Super League”, comprising top four teams of the I League and the ISL.