At the time of writing, East Bengal have the best home record in the Indian Premier League this season. (Image: AIFF)
New Delhi: They entered the current Indian Super League (ISL) season in Round 9 with Mohun Bagan Super Giants topping the table. They have Mumbai City FC, FC Goa, East Bengal FC, Bengaluru FC and Jameshpur FC on their heels.
On the other hand, Mohammedan Sporting are in a good position to be relegated. But the league table only tells half the story.Mohammedan Sporting have played eight matches so far and have one point to show – a draw against Odisha FC on April 17. Of the eight matches, only two have come at home – against FC Goa (0-2 on February 20) and Bengaluru FC (1-2 on March 7). Based on the current fixture list, by the end of the season, they would only have played three home matches.
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Although it’s self-explanatory, home advantage is important. Just ask the other two Bengal clubs. Of Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s nine matches and 20 points, they have played five at home, which has seen them get 12 points. East Bengal have played seven home games out of eight overall, picking up 12 points out of 15 overall in the process.East Bengal’s next home match against Odisha FC will be played in Goa due to elections in West Bengal. They will return to their home base to face Punjab FC on May 11.
In all, nine of East Bengal’s 12 scheduled matches would have been played at home.Inequality is not limited to the ISL alone. Rajasthan United, who finished third in the first phase of the I-League and boast the best home record, will be denied the chance to take that momentum into the tournament stage. Following the All India Football Federation (AIFF) directive on mandatory floodlights, RUFC will instead play their home matches over 500 km away at the Namdhari facilities in Ludhiana.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant tops the ISL standings. (AIFF)
Back in the Indian Super League, Odisha FC has also made a change to its home stadium. Their next home matches will be against Bengaluru FC (May 4) and Punjab FC (May 16) in Goa.Varanasi-based Inter Kashi played three “home” matches in Kolkata while building their own stadium. This number will increase to four by the end. Mohali-based Punjab FC played their home matches in New Delhi.Amid these disparities, the consequences of a bad – or strong – season apply.
A team that does not perform well in ISL will be relegated to IFL and a team that performs well in IFL will be promoted. Relegated teams will be affected by decreased revenue, job opportunities, radio coverage, etc. Meanwhile, the team that wins the title will receive higher prize money, play continental football, be able to attract greater talent and so on.However, force majeure remains a muted topic within the corridors of FIFA. The current FIFA Constitution, approved by the Supreme Court, provides for promotion and relegation in the top flight league in India.
It also makes the Indian Super League compliant with the AFC regulations.
Mohammedan Sporting, bottom of the Indian Super League, played only two matches at home this season. (AIFF)
In 2019, the AFC, the clubs and then commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) accepted the AFC’s relegation proposal starting from the 2024-25 season. This promise will be kept from this season onwards.In January, all 14 Indian Super League clubs wrote to the Sports Ministry and requested that the relegation be scrapped for this season and for three to five seasons thereafter.
They demanded that the 2025-2026 season be considered a “virtual force majeure.” No progress has been made in this regard since then. FIFA and Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rulings in similar cases in the past may not help Indian Super League clubs escape the responsibility of paying salaries. But the fact that this season has not been equal for all teams cannot be ignored. However, the fact that the ups and downs have taken place across India’s top two divisions is a gross injustice after what AIFF president Kalyan Choubey himself described as a “crisis”.