Football,IPL-style

Many of the leagues formed on the lines of the cricket gala have fizzled out. Will this be different?

There’s little doubt that football in India is steadily catching up with cricket in terms of popularity. Many among the young are avid supporters of European teams but few have cared about the domestic game,which continues to plunge to new lows. Now,in an attempt to reach out to those who are devout fans of the beautiful game but often turn their back on seemingly dull Indian football,IMG-Reliance have conceived a tournament which promises to bring some of the biggest names in world football to India. The plan,which has also received a green signal from the game’s governing body,the All India Football Federation,is to conduct an IPL-style tournament from January to March next year,across eight Indian cities. Just-retired players who have played in the world cups and top European leagues are expected to be a part of it. The organisers are rumoured to be in talks with the likes of David Beckham,Raul Gonzalez,Ronaldinho.

The football world,which takes pride in its club competition tradition,is yet to see a franchisee-style,three-month tournament. So it isn’t surprising that the concept hasn’t been embraced with open arms by everyone. The biggest hurdle the organisers are facing is to get the I-League clubs on board. A major chunk of Indian footballers are contracted to the 14 clubs,who have refused to release them for the “rival” tournament. They fear the new tournament will undermine the already-troubled I-League,which is India’s premier football competition.

Having conceptualised and organised the IPL,IMG is aware of the ground realities of running a project of this magnitude in India. Several leagues that were formed on the lines of the cricketing extravaganza have fizzled out. It remains to be seen whether this latest venture in football will follow suit or manage to hold its ground.