After Sporting Clube de Goa and Salgaocar FC, Dempo Sports Club are the latest to quit I-League -- the premier club football league of India -- which started even before the Indian Super League. Dempo, champions of the I-League on three occasions, have been one of the most successful clubs in Indian football over the last few decades.
Prior to the I-League, they lifted the now-defunct National Football League (NFL) title on two occasions, as well as a Durand Cup and a Federation Cup each.
Blame it on the recent All India Football Federation (AIFF) decision to merge the I-League with the ISL earlier this year. While the prospect of a single football club league in the nation does come as a good news, the uncertainty of spending a plethora of money to field and maintain an team in the I-League and not even be assured if the league remains the mainstay of Indian football, Dempo took the decision to save "additional investment".
Shivanand Salgaocar, owner of Salgaocar FC, Peter Vaz, owner of Sporting Clube de Goa, and now Shrinivas Dempo, owner of Dempo Sports Club have now taken a unanimous approach to oppose the introduction of the new football league by the AIFF, which is believed to make ISL the top flight while I-League will be demoted to the second division.
The full statement released by Dempo Sports club on Wednesday (as quoted by Goal):
"Our decision at Dempo Sports Club on participating in the ensuing I-League (2016-17) has been carefully discussed and evaluated by the Club Management during the last few months. Since the time we fielded a team in the Goa League fifty years back, our primary objective has been to contribute to the development of football in Goa and in India.
"To that end, Dempo Sports Club has been the most successful football Club in India in the last fifteen years, having won the National Football League and the I-League five times and all the major football tournaments in the country, besides contributing a substantial number of players to the Indian National team.
"During the round table meeting held last May in New Delhi, the All India Football Federation had proposed the reorganisation of the I-League and ISL. Subsequently, we have read various statements from the AIFF that the final road map on the reorganisation is still in the process of being drawn up.
"Considering the high cost of fielding and maintaining a team in the I-League and the uncertainty regarding the reorganisation of the competition, the Promoters of the Dempo Group of Companies and the Management of the Club have decided that it will not be worthwhile to make the considerable additional investment required to field a team in the I-League. Therefore, with great regret, we wish to inform you that we will not field a team in the forthcoming I-League (2016-17).
"However, mindful of our responsibilities towards football, not to say of our love for the game, we shall redouble our efforts and investments in the grassroots and youth development programmes to prepare the soccer stars of the future. We are glad to inform you that we are also launching a football academy from the next scholastic year onwards.
"This decision does not, of course, preclude our option to re-enter the I-League or any new competition introduced by the AIFF / I-League in coming times. We harbour the certainty that you understand our point of view and the circumstances that have prompted our decision.
"With many good wishes for success in steering Indian football to great heights."
