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Xtra Time Web Desk: Five Indian Super League clubs including new entrants SC East Bengal have failed to meet the AFC and national licensing criteria and will now have to either appeal against the decision or seek exemption from the AIFF in order to take part in the ISL starting on Friday. The Kolkata giants have already applied for exemption on Monday. The other four clubs are Odisha FC, NorthEast United FC, Kerala Blasters and Hyderabad FC which were not handed licenses by the AIFF to be able to take part in AFC and national competitions this season.

Among the clubs who have fulfilled the club licensing criteria are FC Goa, ATK Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC, Jamshedpur FC, Chennaiyin FC and Mumbai City FC.

Any club which failed to secure AFC License will not be able to take part in continental tournaments likes AFC Champions League and AFC Cup even if they qualify from the ISL.

Every year, some club or the other failed to secure these licenses but they seek exemption from being sanctioned. Nineteen clubs have applied for National and AFC club licences for the 2020-21 season, out of which eight are from I-League.

The AIFF said that a decision on the club licensing applications of eight I-League clubs will be taken soon.

For clubs to get licenses, they need to fulfill five main criteria -- sporting, infrastructure, personnel and administrative, legal and financial. Each division has further sub-divisions.

Owing to the current situation, the Asian Football Confederation has been considerate enough to accommodate criteria exception and deadline extension requests made by AIFF throughout the licensing cycle of 2020-21 season. As a result of it, many criteria were exempted from fulfilment and the deadline too were extended multiple times, the AIFF said.

The clubs were to comply with five mandatory licensing criteria but this season, the AFC has been lenient owing to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The criteria which were exempted by the AFC included youth development programme, medical support services, grassroots programme, club youth academy and youth coaches among others.