IMG-R Tournament means lengthy league campaign
After complaints from I-league clubs about a mammoth winter fixture list designed to accommodate the new IMG-R Tournament, the Indian FA have arranged a meeting to discuss scheduling concerns.
Between January and April their will be no I-League fixtures as a result of the new IMG-R venture,
When the AFC Cup fixtures are announced the teams are worried that the end of the season may be pushed from May to June.
To accommodate the new league clubs will face 11 games in 45 days between the end of November and January with a Federation Cup game also to be played.
A club official told Goal India “The schedule is very hard for the teams. Think about the players as they would have no recovery time with the cramped schedule. This isn’t in the best interest of the clubs.
The club’s displeasure with the timing of the IMG-R League, is another issue that will have to be solved between the I-League and IMG-R the chief one being that clubs have so far refused to release their players for the mid-season tournament.
In addition India Coach Wim Koevermans has criticised the IMG-R players for a lack of pre-season fitness going into tomorrows friendly with Tajikistan.