ISL 2017: 5 I-League stars who deserve a spot in Indian Super League sides
The Indian football season has started in full flow. It is for the first time we are witnessing both the ISL and the I-League running parallelly. There was a lot of confusion regarding the status of both the leagues and truth be told, there is still no clarity regarding what is actually what.
On paper, the I-League is the premier club tournament in the country, with the winners getting the prestigious AFC Champions League playoff spots. The ISL winners, on the other hand, will be awarded the AFC Cup playoff spot.
While analysing the leagues in terms of success and revenue, the ISL beats the I-League in all aspects from television ratings to money generated from sponsors.
Though most of the star players, be it Indian or foreign have joined the ISL bandwagon we take a look at 5 players who are playing the I-League, but could easily have featured in the ISL this season.
#1 Sony Norde (Mohun Bagan)
The Haitian is nothing sort of a legend in Indian football. He has helped Mohun Bagan win the prestigious I-League and the Federation Cup. He has also played for Mumbai City FC in the ISL for two seasons the 2015 and 2016 editions. Sony Norde has 4 goals to his name in the ISL and more than that he was a menace down the left flank for Mumbai. He had a big role to play in ensuring Mumbai finished top of the table after the end of the league stages of the tournament last season. His partnership with Diego Forlan was also something the people of Mumbai enjoyed a lot.
For the fans of Mohun Bagan Sony Norde is the equivalent to God. He is literally worshipped by many and the status quo that he enjoys in Kolkata is unmatched. Mohun Bagan broke the bank to get his signature for this season’s I-League, after offering him a sum of around Rs 2.2 crore. ISL clubs like Mumbai City FC and newbies Jamshedpur FC had also been in the race to get his signature, but Norde signed on the dotted lines for the Green and Maroons due to the support and respect he gets from his fans in Mohun Bagan.