I don't see any benefit ISL can bring to Indian football: Zico

12/22/2015

FC Goa manager Zico has insisted that the Indian Super League (ISL) is good for show, but will not bring any benefit to Indian football in the long run, in its current format.

"With all due respect to ISL, I don't see any benefit it (ISL) can bring to Indian football. I cannot see any benefit. For show it is good, but for Indian football it is zero. Just see the results of the Indian national team," Zico was quoted as saying by IANS.

As Zico pointed out, the national team has struggled in their World Cup Qualifying campaign, managing just one win in their six matches. Fingers have been pointed at the ISL clubs, who refused to release the national team players for pre-match training camps during the pre-season.

Zico has also pointed out the league's over-reliance on foreign players, which is making it hard for young Indian players to come through into the team. He went on to insist that Indian football should follow the models used in Japan, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.

The Brazilian legend also called attention to the fact that in its current format, the players do not have access to the same infrastructure to train for eight months, or play, once the tournament ends.

"Once you stop this tournament, the infrastructure is not the same. Players spend eight months without playing," he added.