I-League winners to be promoted to ISL next season, but only just
Promotion to ISL is subject to the winning I-League team meeting appropriate club licensing and other challenging eligibility criteria.
In a significant morale boost for I-League clubs, the winners of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons will be promoted to the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL) the following year, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Saturday. But there will be conditions to meet.
Clubs promoted from the I-League will not be required to pay any participation fee, as approved by the AIFF and Asian Football Confederation (AFC), but they must meet Premier One club licensing requirements to become eligible for ISL.
As part of the Premier One licensing criteria, a club must comply with a set of rules and challenging guidelines in order to participate in tournaments conducted by the AFC and AIFF. ISL is managed by the national federation's marketing partners, Football Sports Development Limited, a private entity.
In addition to maintaining certain sporting, infrastructure, legal and administrative standards, the Premier One licensing criteria also cover financial and administrative factors.
"The decision is as per the roadmap which was agreed earlier. We have just continued with the roadmap. This will end all the speculation and will take Indian football forward," AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran told PTI.
The 2022-23 season of I-League, which is India’s second-division football league, begins on November 12. Defending champions Gokulam Kerala will host last year's runners-up Mohammedan Sporting at Payyanad Stadium in Manjeri in the opener. The season will conclude in March 2023. The I-League was AIFF's premier league till ISL superceded it in 2017-18, three seasons after it started.
There are currently 11 clubs playing in the ISL. The I-League features 12 teams. ISL is a closed league with no relegation while the I-League has two tiers with the usual promotion and demotion.