New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) wants to hold its premier cup competition as a season-opening tournament in 2025-26 season but is yet to find a venue and confirm dates for it in the ongoing campaign (2024-25) that ends in two months.
In a meeting with I-League clubs on February 3, the AIFF circulated its tentative calendar for next season, where the entire month of August is kept for the revival of Federation Cup and the Indian Army-organised Durand Cup, which has become the Indian football’s season-opener in the last few seasons.
Since coming into power in 2022, the Kalyan Chaubey-led committee had pledged to revive ‘legacy competitions’ that have either discontinued or lost sheen and had plans to hold the Federation Cup in the 2023-24 season itself.
But a chock-a-block calendar and prior commitments forced the federation to postpone its re-introduction till the 2024-25 season, after initially planning it to run concurrently with the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League.
Last held in 2016-17, the Federation Cup was India’s top cup competition before being replaced by the Super Cup, the winners of which earn a ticket to compete in the AFC Champions League 2 qualifiers.
Scheduling woes
The AIFF has been on the lookout for a suitable window to hold the Super Cup but unable to find a slot and, mindful of escalating costs if it is held throughout the season in a home-and-away format from October 1, 2024 to May 15, 2025, it has been held towards the end of every season, after the conclusion of the ISL and I-League.
Despite an AFC slot up for grabs, being a season-ending tournament has made the Super Cup an unattractive proposition for many clubs. It is on their insistence six foreigners were allowed in the playing XI when it was held from January 9 to 28 last season, as it coincided with the AFC Asian Cup (January 12 – February 10).
A total of 16 teams (12 ISL and four I-Legue sides) were drawn into four groups and was conducted in a single round-robin format in Bhubaneswar, with group winners advancing to the semi-finals.
This season, the AIFF plans to hold a 16-team event (13 ISL and top three I-League clubs as per latest standings) in a knockout format from April 18 after the conclusion of the ISL final on April 13 or 14.
Costs a hurdle
The Odisha government had borne the costs for it last season, including a pay out of Rs 3 crore for production and broadcast rights of matches to AIFF’s marketing partners.
Goa Football Association had expressed interest to host it this time but had sought clarification over expenses and had submitted a Rs 2 crore budget after being unable to secure funding from the state government.
The cost-sensitive AIFF is shy of bearing costs, and following GFA’s reluctance, is forced to scamper for an alternative host with Uttarakhand emerging as a possibility.
Fresh from hosting the football competition of National Games, the Indira Gandhi International Sports Stadium in Haldwani has surfaced as a potential venue with the AIFF involved in communication with the Uttarakhand government.
The federation’s competitions committee is set to meet on Monday where the tentative schedule of events is likely to be approved apart from a discussion on Haldwani, where lodging 16 teams could prove to be a challenge.
With only two months left of the current season, the AIFF is scrambling to find a venue and confirm dates for the Super Cup, having initially planned to host it as a season-long event. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
