AIFF expresses surprise and regret on Salgaocar and Sporting’s withdrawl

AIFF expresses surprise and regret on Salgaocar and Sporting's withdrawl. Xtratime.in
AIFF expresses surprise and regret on Salgaocar and Sporting’s withdrawl. Xtratime.in

Internet Desk: The All India Football Federation expressed regret and surprise over the sudden decision of Salgaocar SC and Sporting Clube de Goa to exit the I-League.

Terming it as a knee jerk and speculative reaction AIFF General Secretary Mr. Kushal Das said: “We along with our Marketing partners have been very transparent sharing our thoughts with all stakeholders regarding the way forward for Indian Football. It was clearly stated that the shared draft was only a proposal ad we would like suggestions from various stakeholders. The AIFF has been receiving various suggestions and the last one was received only a week back.”

“Since it involves setting the roadmap for Indian Football every aspect needs to be carefully considered. So the assumption made by the Clubs that AIFF has not responded is presumptuous and speculative.

He also added that while “there is no denying the contribution made by the Clubs who have been associated with Indian Football for a long time, it was also evident that they were unable to create  fan base to sustain themselves.”

“The purpose of the proposal was to enable Clubs to create a sustainable model for the future which has unfortunately been wrongly interpreted by some of the Clubs,” he further stated.

Reacting to the allegations of the Clubs about financial matters, Mr. Sunando Dhar, CEO, I-League said: “The amount for fielding age-group sides in the respective competitions of AIFF which were pending since 2008, was agreed in an I-League committee meeting that the same would be adjusted against the I-League participation fees. This has been in practice for the last 3-4 years.”

Football icon and AIFF Technical Committee Chairman Baichung Bhutia mentioned that while the two Goan clubs opting to not participate in the I-League is unfortunate, they struggled to sustain or match the popularity and fan engagement of FC Goa, an Indian Super League (ISL) club.

“I think it’s unfortunate that they decided to pull out. Fan following is an important aspect in sport and the manner in which the Goans have accepted or taken to FC Goa, other Goan clubs weren’t able to match it.

“We must respect the contribution of the two clubs for football in India but also accept that fans play a major role. Now we have to make sure that football has to spread in other regions. Fan following of football in Goa won’t be damaged as you have a strong club like FC Goa present,” the former India skipper said.

“We need to make sure football spreads and bring in clubs from places where football isn’t big. If we get in two more clubs in the I-League, I don’t think there is much concern with regards to the players,” he stated.