ISL 2017-18: Gurpreet Singh Sandhu baffled by Super Cup scheduling

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu is baffled by the fact that Super Cup does not provide an AFC (Asian Football Confederation) competition spot like Federation Cup did.

The Bengaluru FC goalkeeper is hoping for a structured football season in the coming years, with the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) still mulling over the roadmap of Indian football. 

"I don't know what is happening regarding the Super Cup. If we have to play the cup, we play the cup. Usually, it is in between the season like everywhere else.

"But I don't see what the motive of the Super Cup is. When there were cups before, like the Federation Cup, you get a qualification spot. Winning the Super Cup doesn't give any AFC spot. Even if next year, the I-League and ISL get AFC Cup and ACL (AFC Champions League) positions, then what is the use of the Super Cup?" questioned Gurpreet.

Goal

However, Gurpreet agreed that it did not make sense to play the Super Cup in between the already congested Indian Super League (ISL) schedule.

"It is good for getting game time, it is good for getting chances to play. But we already have only a few days between the games. If you put Cup matches in that as well, it is going to be really really hectic for teams like Bengaluru who are in AFC Cup as well. It is going to be so difficult.

"What I think is going to happen is...they are introducing all this right now and later on, what they will do is, they will try to fit all this in together. With telecast rights and everything, it is not easy to fit all these together."

The former Stabaek FC goalkeeper also believes that in the future, clubs should be ready to play cup competitions between the league games, just like how it is everywhere else in the world.

"I don't there should be a complaint (about fixture congestion in the coming years). If you look at top clubs everywhere else, it is the same - they play on weekends and they have commitments, say the Champions League, and they play on the weekends again. If they have cup commitments, they play on weekdays and weekends. You can't complain.

"Playing the AFC Cup is very important for us. But the ISL schedule has been a little tighter at times but we can't really complain because if you want to be the best team, you need to play all these games. If everyone does it everywhere else, then we have to do it as well."