All India Football Federation (AIFF) secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran “personally” feels that the I-League needs restructuring so that smaller clubs can survive by cutting down their players’ travel and accommodation costs. Prabhakaran said he will propose a dialogue between the top brass and other stakeholders.
He said if the money spent on logistics is reduced, clubs with a smaller budget will survive, and that will also help the I-League have more teams across the country. “The I-League is increasingly reaching new geographies, and we need to capture new clubs besides the old ones. The clubs should not devote 80 percent of their money to logistics. Currently, only 20 percent is going to football; the remaining 20 percent is going to logistics. It can’t be like this,” Prabhakaran stated.
“We have to see how we can reduce the cost of operating clubs. The idea is not to reduce the budget, but that budget should not be used as a cost for flying and hotels. It could be used on the ground to create a better product.” He said the AIFF should not do anything that would increase the cost of running clubs and instead work to reduce their burden.
“The clubs are putting a lot of money into the system; managing a club is not easy. They are paying the players, and their cost is only increasing. We should not do any such things because the cost of running clubs is increasing but the return is drying up. If that happens, they will be forced to move out of the system.
Prabhakaran, however, said no formal discussion has started on a possible restructuring of the I-League and that it is his “personal thought at this stage”.
“This is not official yet. I can put this up to the league committee at the right time. But we should have a meeting with the clubs first. We will leave it to clubs, the league committee, and the executive committee. We will have an open discussion. We are spending Rs 15 to 18 crore in the I-League. So, we have to ask: Is this the right format? Is this the right value the clubs, the players, and other stakeholders are getting?”
Asked about the recent announcement of players in the IWL having a minimum salary, Prabhakaran said, “Ten players in a team should have a minimum salary of Rs 3.2 lakh; that is the decision of the executive committee. Whether it (the minimum salary) is for existing or new players, we will leave it to the clubs.” He said the AIFF will announce “something big and exceptional” by July that can change women’s football in the country.
