Simultaneous football leagues will benefit India

Vasco (Goa) August 1 (IANS): Running both the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League simultaneously will help footballers stick to a certain style of play rather then having to adapt to two different modules like before, says FC Goa assistant coach Derrick Pereira, a former India star. “The thing that is happening now will help Indian footballers. Earlier, when the ISL was followed by the I-League, players used to play under different styles depending on the coach of a team. Now a player knows where he belongs and which style his club wants,” Pereira told IANS in an interview at his residence here. The All India Football Federation (AIFF), along with Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL) -- the organisers of the ISL -- has decided to run the two leagues concurrently from November to April with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) too rubber-stamping the move.But from the 2018-19 season, one longer league is expected to take shape. “Both leagues running together will help Indian footballers get more opportunity,” Pereira said. “The players will be clearer about their loyalties and also there won’t be employment problems.” “I think if marketing is done properly and club names like Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Aizawl FC are promoted in the right way, visibility should not be a problem,” the 55-year-old said. Among the 13 players FC Goa picked in the draft, the likes of Seriton Fernandes, Brandon Fernandes, Pratesh Shirodkar, Jovel Martins and Anthony D’Souza were all with Pereira in the I-League when he was with Churchill Brothers last season. On the foreign players’ front, the 2015 ISL runners-up, according to Pereira, would not break the bank for a big name. From this season of the ISL, having a marquee player in the squad is no longer compulsory. “I don’t think we will go for anything lavish and beyond the Rs 12.5 crore cap for foreigners. The coach wants players to be playing in a certain way which is to keep the ball on the ground and pass, and he will pick players who are more suited to that style,” Pereira signed off.