Two months too little; thirty years too many – Is ISL going the right way?

It was the first match of ISL 2015, and Helder Postiga was on song!

The case of Postiga is not unique, as season-2 continues to witness a never-ending trail of injured players. Pre-match press conferences turn out to be roll-calls for out-of-action marquee players, even as their ranks deplete faster than you lose friends in an alley knife fight or a drunken brawl. The bottom three teams, NorthEast United FC, Mumbai FC and Kerala Blasters FC, have especially borne the brunt of this, with key players missing the season even as the season lurches towards the midway mark!

As the extravaganza unfolded on October 3 amidst intense fanfare in a star-studded event, doubts remained about the real impact of the ISL phenomenon. Even as franchises seek to revolutionise the face of football in the subcontinent, questions linger on if it is being done sustainably. The voices have not been confined only to sections of fans, but have been widespread. While a huge clamour has risen around the intense marketing of the event, the real problems lie elsewhere. At the simplest level, two problems stand out – the quality of the current crop of imports, and the unforgiving nature of the event’s schedule.

While the stated intent of bringing in marquee players is to enrich the experience of Indian players, the unstated and obvious objective has been to grab quick eyeballs through these instantly recognisable names. Legends like Roberto Carlos, Postiga and Nicolas Anelka evoke glassy-eyed reactions as we reminiscence about their exploits when we grew up. However, like all things in life, free lunches always come with a price tag. Years of playing at the highest levels has taken a toll on these supreme athletes and quite a few players have returned from retirement, lured by the promise of footballing glory once again.

The average age of the foreign recruits at the ISL is on the wrong side of thirty at 30.7. Compare this with the average age at the EPL at 26.8 and La Liga at 26.2 and one is left to wonder if the ISL has become a refugee of the has-beens. An analysis of the individual teams throws up some interesting observations. Arguably, the three best teams of the league, Atletico, Kerala and Chennaiyin also unsurprisingly have the youngest bunch of foreign players. While Kerala has the youngest squad at 28.5, Chennaiyin comes second at 29.1 and Atletico just grazes the 30 year mark at 30.1. It is difficult to resist from arriving at the conclusion that this holds the answer to their stellar performances.

A look at the standout players of this season only serves to strengthen the case for younger and less than famous players in the league. Tournament top scorer, Stiven Mendoza at 23 has been an absolute delight to watch as he lifts the quality of the game singlehandedly. Other young guns making waves in the edition include Dos Santos, Lukka and Hans Mulder. None other than soccer great, Pele made a case for younger talent in the ISL during his recent India tour, when he said, “India should have more Brazilian footballers. Not only players who are at the end of their careers, but players who can perform at a high level and make a difference for their teams in the long term.”

The short, packed schedule also has an impact on the positive effect the tournament is expected to have on Indian players. Pele hit the nail on the head when he said at a press conference in Delhi, “Two months are not enough. You need to have a longer tournament if the ISL is to have a substantial effect. But it is important to begin. The beginning has been very nice. I think you need to give more time to the players to gel with and learn from their foreign counterparts.”

It is high time the men at the helm realise that Indian fans do not expect faded versions of their stars, who sparkle briefly only to disappear quickly into the horizon. The Indian fan deserves a better quality of fare – one where younger talent from across the world rubs shoulders with India's hopefuls; one that lifts the country's football out of its depths; one that makes us switch channels when an EPL match is underway; one that makes its own stars instead of searching elsewhere.