Football: ISL has lost its hype and failed to keep up with fans’ expectations, says Bhaichung Bhutia

Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia has urged all stakeholders of the sport in the country to come together and find a solution for the “betterment of Indian football” amid the ongoing tiff between the All India Football Federation and the I-League clubs.

Bhutia said that the Indian league structure needed a reset, adding that the Indian Super League has not met expectations.

“It is very essential to re-frame the league structure because even ISL has lost much of the hype since it was started five years ago. It has not been able to keep itself up to expectations of the fans of Indian football,” he was quoted as saying by Sportstar.

Also Read: What is the whole conflict between I-League, AIFF and IMG-Reliance about?

Recent media reports suggest the federation is set to rubber-stamp ISL as India’s premier football competition in an Executive Meet on July 3. In response, seven I-League clubs have released a joint statement threatening to take AIFF to court. I-League champions Chennai City, on the other hand, have written to the apex body requesting them to be invited for the Executive Meet next month.

Also Read: A timeline of the longstanding conflict between AIFF and I-League clubs

Bhutia feels a better solution for Indian football can only be through a united front. “I think it is important for all of them to come together and find a complete solution for the betterment of Indian football. It is important that everyone shuns their egos and work to create a good ecosystem for Indian football,” the former Indian forward said.