I-League clubs open to rethink Super Cup participation

By Jagannath Chatterjee

New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) Nine I-League clubs have written to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) General Secretary Kusal Das expressing their desire to participate in the Super Cup.

The letter, in possession of IANS, is in response to the letter sent by Das to six I-League clubs -- Quess East Bengal, Mohun Bagan, NEROCA, Churchill Borthers, Real Kashmir FC and Chennai City FC. The teams were expected to be a part of the Super Cup which starts on March 29 in Bhubaneswar.

In the letter, the signatories have conveyed to the federation their intention to participate in the Super Cup subject to AIFF President Praful Patel giving them time to address the issues they are been looking to discuss with him.

"We wish to put on record that each of the undersigned clubs are eager to participate in the prestigious Super Cup as communicated in our letter dated 18th February 2019. We had also stated in the same letter that we are looking for a meeting with Praful Patel, President, AIFF, to address the concerns of the I-League clubs including the creation of a unified league, composed of the Indian Super League (ISL), I-League and clubs from the second division," the letter said.

"While we are keen to participate in the Super Cup, a discussion about the future of the I-League is equally important," the letter equipped.

Along with the letter, the clubs have also presented a blueprint for a combined league, which, according to Minerva Punjab FC owner Ranjit Bajaj, was drafted after a prolonged meeting of all the signatory clubs in Chennai on Tuesday.

The Super Cup is a knockout tournament run by AIFF that features teams from the ISL and the I-League.

(Jagannath Chatterjee can be contacted at jagannath.c@ians.in)