Kolkata: The parental body of Indian football, The All India Football Federation is likely to increase the number of foreign players in the I-League as per the verbal requests by all the I-League clubs. The AIFF has called for a meeting of I-League clubs on June 29 and if there is a need to have more foreign players, and if majority agree, we will place it before the I-League committee.
The I-League committee meets on July 5. Meanwhile, the I-League is expected to kick off in mid-November just a couple of days after the ISL commences.
Bengaluru FC’s participation in the ISL will weaken the I-League to a large extent, although clubs from Kerala and Karnataka are now eager to jump on to the bandwagon. Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have been in the forefront of asking the AIFF to change its guidelines and increase the number of foreign players from four – which includes a mandatory Asian player – to five. The clubs have told AIFF general secretary Kushal Das that it would be difficult for them to sign quality Indian players since most of them may opt to play in the Indian Super League (ISL) which will now run simultaneously.
Meanwhile, the number of foreigners might increase from two to three in the next Calcutta Football League as well, as per IFA sources.