Newly-crowned I-League champions Aizawl Football Club's (AFC) skipper Alfred Jaryan admitted it won't be a pleasing sight to see the Northeastern side away from the top tier of Indian football next season
Alfred Jaryan
Aizawl captain Alfred Jaryan
Newly-crowned I-League champions Aizawl Football Club's (AFC) skipper Alfred Jaryan admitted it won't be a pleasing sight to see the Northeastern side away from the top tier of Indian football next season.
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The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is mulling the introduction of a three-tier system in the country for the 2017-18 season. According to the proposed plans, the top tier will be named as the Indian Super League and will consist of all the eight existing franchises in addition to two or three clubs from the I-League. Mohun Bagan, Bengaluru FC and East Bengal may make the cut for the premier tier, while Aizawl will have to be content playing in the second tier. "It will be very sad if Aizawl FC won't be in Indian football's premier structure next season. All of us in the team want to show our talent and the players too will be happy to play there," AFC skipper Alfred Jaryan told mid-day over the phone from Aizawl yesterday.
No promotion for Aizawl
There will be no promotion for any clubs to the top tier for the next seven years, which means that the fate of Aizawl FC, a team that scripted one of the greatest stories in Indian football history, is pretty much left in limbo. "This season, we achieved what we wanted to. Our management knows the bigger dream and we hope they and the AIFF can take a decision that will be in the best interest of our players," the Liberian international added.
The club has written to the AIFF to allow them to remain in the top league. "Aizawl FC has submitted its claim to AIFF to continue in the top league even after the proposed merger of the existing top league with the ISL," the club wrote on Twitter.
Club play their role
"If no positive response is received from AIFF, the club will approach central sports minister, the prime minister of India and also president of Asian Football Confederation. If these efforts fail, the club will resort to mass hunger strike/fast unto death protest," the post read further.
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