new delhi: The I-League, the country’s second-tier football competition, will be restructured and rechristened as Indian Football League (IFL), with the clubs becoming majority stakeholders in the venture from the upcoming season beginning February 21.
A decision to rechristen the I-League was taken during a meeting of the club representatives and All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials on Wednesday. It was later announced during a press conference here. The AIFF’s Executive Committee is yet to approve the decision though it is just a formality.
“We have decided in today’s meeting that the I-League will be restructured and rechristened as Indian Football League. It is a landmark decision, though it will need the approval from the AIFF Executive Committee,” said Shillong Lajong owner Larsing Ming at the press conference.
“We are making a fresh start of the league. The clubs themselves will majorly involve in running the league just like it is done in other top leagues of the world like the English Premier League.”
The announcement came in the backdrop of a crisis in Indian football after the AIFF and its previous commercial partner FSDL failed to renew the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) beyond December 8 last year.
The top-tier Indian Super League (ISL), organised by FSDL, and the I-League were paused only to restart after the intervention of the sports ministry. The ISL is set to begin on February 14, a week before the I-League (Indian Football League).
The league will have Governing Council and Management Committee for the first time. The Governing Council will be a larger body which will be the final decision making body, while the Management Committee will be a smaller one to look after
day-to-day affairs. agencies