‘Clubs should market themselves’
Almost everyone, except the All-India Football Federation and the IMGReliance, accepts that the proposed IPL-style league is not the right way to develop Indian football.
However, renowned football pundit and former English player Paul Masefield — a vocal critic of the new league — said the I-League clubs should also share the blame for the poor state of the game in the country.
Masefield, a close follower of the Asian football scene as he spends the majority of his time in Hong Kong and Singapore, said the I-League clubs have failed to promote their brand. “I-League clubs should also take the blame. They have not been able to promote their teams. If they don’t have enough money to pump in, they should be able to get in sponsors. They should market the clubs so that corporates come in,” said Masefield.
As an anecdote, Masefield took the case of the Japanese League. “The J-League improved because almost every team was supported by big corporates like Nissan. To say that the corporates are not interested in Indian football can’t be accepted. You have to market your product, in this case the club,” he said.
Masefield, however, identified Pune FC as a benchmark for the other clubs.
“They have got the things spot on as they are following the UK model. They have been able to attract money and considerable interest from the locals. So it can be done in India,“ he added.
Meanwhile, Masefield said that the stubbornness of IMG-R to hold a new league may split Indian football and may lead to the formation of two federations.
“The IMG-R is insisting on the new league. The I-League is India’s primary competition. That is where the money and focus should be. If say, IMG-R is not happy with the outcome or if the I-League clubs don’t find any other way forward, one of these groups might start a separate body. That will ruin Indian football,” Masefield said.
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