Indian football fans will be treated to a two-tier structure from the next season as it has been confirmed that ISL and I-League teams will now be subject to promotion and relegation.

After weeks of confusion, Indian football fans have a piece of good news to look forward to. The Bridge understands that during the ongoing meeting of the FIFA-AFC delegation with stakeholders of Indian football, a promotion and relegation system has been confirmed for the upcoming season of ISL and I-League as per the AFC-FIFA roadmap promised earlier to I-League clubs.

This will come as a morale booster for top I-League clubs who can lock their horns with ISL clubs in a tier-based system. This system has been in talks for the past few years with I-League clubs demanding a tier-based system in Indian football.

What is AFC-FIFA Roadmap?

The 2022–23 I-League champions are expected to be promoted to the Indian Super League as part of the roadmap. But recently, a few I-League clubs have asked the Federation and the AFC for assurances that the promotion into the ISL would be implemented. The fresh developments on the matter indicate that this season will see the promotion of I-League champions in the ISL on basis of the ‘sporting merit’