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The I-League is still in its infancy but the domestic game struggles to establish itself against it's European cousin and the national obsession.
Last month’s Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona at Wembley was not just a celebration of the beautiful game in its purest form, with Barca demonstrating some of the expressionism and creativity that has some hailing them as the greatest side of all time, but a celebration of the sport as a truly world-wide spectacle.
For the second consecutive year more people watched UEFA’s premier club showpiece than the Super Bowl, as an estimated worldwide audience of 300 million witnessed Pep Guardiola’s side collect their second Champions League title in three years, under the illumination of the famous Wembley arch.
The inclusion of South Korean Park Ji-Sung in the Man Utd line-up was symbolic of the global growth of the European game over the past decade.
But whilst the European football empire may be thriving on its status as a worldly passion, its impact on the respective domestic leagues and federations it encompasses could be offsetting the escalation in interest of the sport from fresh markets.
Many territories have now firmly fallen under the imperialism of UEFA and European football to the detriment of their own domestic game. Whilst American soccer continues to grow under the moniker of the MLS, it can still only hope to aspire to the television audience and figures commanded by the Champions League and the Premier League from stateside soccer fans. However another nation, which persists to struggle in the development of its own national game when in competition with Europe, finds itself contradicting its increasing national prosperity.
India boasts a long footballing history. In fact, Indians, it has been said, played a variation of the sport centuries before it reached continental Europe. But this tradition acts as something of a surprising paradox to the state of Indian football at present.
Barcelona’s win over Manchester United at Wembley was watched by an estimated 45 million Indian football fans, yet India itself did not even have a fully professional league until just four years ago, when the ‘I-League’ was formed, replacing the National Football League (NFL). Such is the under-development of Indian football, a second tier was not added to the country’s league structure until 1997, and a third until 2006.
The I-League replaced the NFL in 2007 after recommendations made by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to follow a system similar to that of Japan’s J-League, which has successfully served to further the sport in Japan since its inception in 1993. Asian football in general is still benefiting from the hosting of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, with interest in the sport at an all time high, particularly for the 2002 hosts.
The Japanese brand of fanatical support, impressive crowds and infrastructure established since the World Cup had fuelled optimism that India could re-create what the J-League has generated in Japan. But whilst the Indian variation has extended the sport around the country, and crowds are increasing annually, the dramatic up-take that had been targeted has largely failed to materialise, continuing to leave the Indian game, not just adrift of Europe, but the rest of Asia.
However, Chris Punnakkattu Daniel, Assistant Editor-in-chief of IndianFootball.com for eleven years and former consultant on Indian football around the world, defended the I-League, insisting that it’s formation has brought the game to a new audience.
“It’s definitely helped Indian football to expand itself as new clubs have been formed with the intention of competing at the highest national level," he said. "Clubs like Shillong Lajong FC and United Sikkim are two of these new clubs formed when the I-League was created.
“They’re both based in the north-eastern part of India and they come from a region, which did not play a big role at the top level prior to the I-League. Shillong Lajong FC, for example, created a huge fan following and culture in their home state. So the I-League is making a difference, but things need to keep moving in the right direction.”
The league’s re-incarnation may have been a success in some instances (in the North-East, as Daniel mentions) but there is no denying that in comparison to Asian leagues of a similar potential, Indian football exists somewhat primitively.
The recently concluded fourth season of the league received no TV broadcast. Admittedly, this was due to the collapse of the All India Football Federation’s television deal with Zee Sports, but the league is generally poorly marketed, with games scheduled for afternoons in mid-week, meaning that most fans cannot attend.
Whilst the formation of the I-League has brought professional football to India, the league still retains a sense of amateurism. Many Indian teams are, what is termed as ‘institutional’, meaning they represent a company as a social aspect for the benefit of its workers, similar to that of Welsh sides, Total Network Solutions (TNS) or Airbus UK. Shailesh Karkera, founder of Indian football site, FootballMumbai.com, told me that it is essential I-League clubs develop their own identity, regardless of company links, in order for Indian football to progress.
“Teams like Jagjit Cotton Textiles, Dempo, Air India, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and, until last season, Mahindra United are all institutional clubs and it is essential for a football club to create an identity of its own to perform successfully in the modern age.
“However, companies do not necessarily need to completely cut ties with the teams but they do need to create a brand that is separate from the parent company – a good example of this being Pune FC, run by Peninsula, and Mumbai FC, run by the Essel Group.”
These ‘Institutional’ clubs are usually well resourced, with their players actually earning a reasonable wage and even prospects of employment after their footballing days. But these teams only represent a closed community, ignoring the huge potential fan base that still remains relatively untapped by the I-League.
Football in India may have a long and honoured history but the sport has not been as widely adopted by Indians as it was by Europeans in the last century, and has had to cope with a secondary role behind a sporting passion that makes Europe’s football obsession look like a whimsical diversion.
Cricket is India’s sport. Such is the appetite for the game that the country takes the sporting cliché of an allegiance being somewhat of a ‘religion’ as literally as possible.
Many make the mistake of asking whether football can ever challenge cricket’s dominance in India, but as Daniel explains, perhaps the I-League should take the lead from the American sporting landscape.
“There’s no need to challenge cricket in India, no matter if it’s football, tennis, hockey or F1. The aim should be to create a multi-sports culture comparable to the US.
“Anyone investing in Indian football should realise that this is a long term project and we need to deliver on and off the field with lots of patience, hard work and professional structure.”
As I have already mentioned, an estimated 45 million Indians watched last month’s Champions League final, and therein lies the biggest obstacle for the I-League; how to carve out a distinctive brand for themselves whilst overcoming the fixation with the glitz and glam of European football.
Joe Morrison, who anchored TenSport’s broadcast of last month’s Champions League final to a region that includes India within its audience, explained what it is Indian fans find fascinating about the European variation of the sport.
“Quite simply the attraction of the Champions League is that it puts the best clubs and the best players up against each other. I was brought up to appreciate the intensity and rivalry of derby matches; not in this part of the world.
“They are not even interested in games like Birmingham vs. Villa. They want to see Manchester United vs. AC Milan. They want to see Messi, Rooney, Ronaldo going head to head every fortnight.
“There is not the same support for Indian football but then, the organization and structure of the Indian league is in a mess. It seems corruption is rife and fixture schedules get changed or even cancelled at the last minute.”
UEFA’s imperialism knows no boundaries, and whilst European domestic leagues have established ways of co-existing alongside the Champions League’s dominance, it seems as though some leagues out with the tournament’s footprint are not being given the chance to grow.
UEFA’s imperialism knows no boundaries, and whilst European domestic leagues have established ways of co-existing alongside the Champions League’s dominance, it seems as though some leagues out with the tournament’s footprint are not being given the chance to grow.
