The All India Football Federation (AIFF) mentioned that Star Sports would only broadcast a select 30 matches for the rest of the 2018-19 season, starting December 29.
This has resulted in a furore of sorts with clubs slamming the decision and have claimed that the powers that be are purposely trying to stifle the I-League.
Mohun Bagan, one of the oldest clubs in the country, have now joined the bandwagon and taken a dig at the AIFF and their commercial partners, IMG-Reliance for not doing enough to promote the national league, which is the I-League.
“The All India Football Federation is trying to create more hype for the ISL. So, in different manners they want to kill the I-League. It is not only TV coverage, the standard of refereeing among other things also that is very poor,” Debashish Dutta, Mohun Bagan’s Finance Secretary expressed to Goal.
Mohun Bagan
Dutta went on to claim that the Indian Super League (ISL) is struggling to catch eyeballs this season and the lack of coverage for the I-League is a consequence of it.
“Somehow as the ISL is not getting that mileage in terms of TRP, it is one kind of process,” he mentioned.
While there are talks of Bagan possibly plying their trade in the ISL next season, Dutta pointed that those in the I-League certainly deserved better than the current broadcast arrangement between the AIFF and Star Sports.
“Whether we will be playing in the I-League or in the ISL is not an issue. All the clubs in the I-League have been conducting proper football activities,” he concluded.
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