5 things for the 5th season of ISL that makes it more about Football
As ISL is dawning to its 5th season here is the list of 5 things happening in the lead-up to the season that shows positive signs for the league and for Indian Football as a whole.
#1 An overwhelming Pre-season
If at all anything shows brighter signs for the state of the game in the country it has to be the pre-seasons held by major teams this year.
Starting from the La Liga world coming to the country with teams like Girona and Melbourne City FC gracing the Indian fields, teams like Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC have gone the miles to train in the best facilities of Spain.
Bengaluru and ATK have also marked new heights with Bengaluru playing against FC Barcelona and ATK against premier league side Fulham FC.
Kerela Blasters and Delhi Dynamos have chosen Malaysia and Doha to prepare for the season ahead respectively.
This shows real positive signs that the management is clear on the fact that the only way to improve the league is to improve the standard of the game being played on the pitch.
#2 The AFC Cup Slot
Probably one of the most important upgrades since its inception, ISL is now an AIFF, AFC and FIFA recognized league.
What that means, is, now ISL is no longer a private tournament and has to comply with the AFC regulations which guarantee its winners for an AFC Cup spot. This adds a lot of meaning to the competition which was otherwise a title with null vision.
The inclusion of AFC guidelines will mold it into a better structure and will help develop strong disciplines for the league and the teams to follow.
This also shifts the focus to a more practical approach of developing the game in the country by making it more global.