India’s most awaited football event is about to kick-off! The Indian Super League promises to a belter for every football fan across the country, and with India hosting the 2017 U17 FIFA World Cup, this football extravaganza will provide an image of reality. It is an immensely important and significant sporting event which will showcase India on the grand-stage. It is a question of whether the Indian Super League will ignite the hopes of waking the country from its football slumber or it is just another false dawn?
For starters, let me guide you through a little timeline:
9th December 2010: The All India Football Federation signs a 15-year, 700-crore deal with Reliance Industries and USA based global sports and media business firm IMG. The deal offered IMG-Reliance exclusive commercial rights to sponsorship, advertising, broadcasting, merchandising, video, franchising, and rights to create a new football league.
The first rumors started to speculate about an Indian Premier League-esque football league in India during a conflict between the I-League clubs and AIFF. Rumors built were that IMG-Reliance has both planned a league structure similar to that of Major League Soccer (in USA) and the India Premier League (T20 cricket league in India).
April 2011: A glimpse of this league was officially launched when the IFA (Indian Football Association, West Bengal) launched the Bengal Premier League idea with the first season scheduled for 2012. Speculating rumors suggested that the league will include the likes of FIFA World Cup 2006 winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, and other greats of game such as Robbie Fowler, Hernán Crespo, and Robert Pirès.