No sure AFC Cup slot for I-League champions

NEW DELHI: The I-League champions would qualify for the Asian Champions League (ACL) play-offs but a place in the AFC Cup won’t be taken for granted if they fail to progress in the former.

With India having lost their play-off spot in the ACL for the 2012 season as announced by the Asian Football Confederation, much has to be done for them to earn it back.

It is learnt that the AFC are to send in a few fresh regulations which the clubs of the member association would have to comply with, and a detailed report on the same needs to be sent for review by June.

“We will await the regulations from the AFC which are due by the end of March and thereafter we shall have time until June to send our report,” informed Sunando Dhar, I-League CEO.

If at all India does manage to fulfill the criterion set by the AFC for the ACL, the I-League champion would have to participate in the play-off, which will be held in two stages. If the I-League champions succeed in winning the first play-off and progress to the second stage, a place in the AFC Cup as a fallback option is guaranteed.

“So now the Federation Cup champions will play six matches for sure in the AFC Cup but it may so happen, if India does manage to get a spot in the ACL, the I-League champion may only get to play one match,” Dhar explained.

Meanwhile, a Second Division I-League club – BEML – has managed to fulfill the ‘commercial entity’ criterion, unlike HAL and Air India, given that they are very much part of the public sector.