A month from now we are going to witness the greatest football show in our country, the Indian Super League (ISL). This is going to be the second edition of the ISL. To the crazy football loving people of Goa, the inaugural ISL with FC Goa under the watchful eyes of Brazilian coach Zico, saw our Goan team trying for supremacy had the mortification of losing in the semifinal to Atletico de Kolkata. Last year, at the initial stages FC Goa was at the bottom of the table progressing upfront only in later stages. Those memories will not be erased.
The second edition of the ISL with its marquee players and franchisees is due to kick off next month. FC Goa coach Zico is back to basics and will have to start right from the scratch to see that the Goan team is a force to reckon with. We are looking forward to see FC Goa dish out entertaining and pulsating football in the next three or four months.
But the present set up is beset with problems. ISL and I League have created a divide in the football scenario of India. The former has become superior (super) and the latter has become inferior. I would say Inferior League. ISL is cash rich whereas the I League is cash strapped. There is a mad rush to get a slot in the ISL. Thousands of spectators will throng to watch the ISL matches. The stadiums at I league matches have empty stands. ISL matches are of World Cup standard. I League matches are comparatively mediocre. As such they are not crowd pullers. Some clubs have already shut shop, others may follow suit. Now there is talk of merger of ISL and IL. Let us see the modalities adopted for the merger if at all it materializes.
