AIFF to evaluate new bids for I-League after Salgaocar pullout

New Delhi: The upcoming season of I-League may have a bigger number of teams than the previous edition, despite the fact that Sporting Clube de Goa, one of the oldest football clubs in the country have decided to pull out of the tournament.

Three new teams – Minerva Academy FC, FC Bardez Goa, and Chennai City FC – have put forth the proposition to be included in the upcoming season of the I-League.

An evaluation committee set up by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) met in New Delhi on Wednesday, to discuss the logistics of including the three teams in the league.

The committee comprised of top AIFF officials - general secretary Kushal Das, vice president Subrata Dutta, and CEO Sunando Dhar among others.

Das was upbeat about the prospects of the three new teams joining the league.

"It's truly heartening to see these three clubs, that too from different states across the Nation, showing their enthusiasm to play in the Hero I-League,” said Das in a press release. “This actually highlights that we're heading towards a bright future of Indian Football, involving every nook and corner of the country.

This news comes just a day after Sporting Clube de Goa announced their withdrawal from the league, as a mark of protest against AIFF’s decision to make I-League a second tier tournament.

Sporting’s fellow Goan club Salgaocar had also withdrawn from the I-League, earlier this year.

Das expressed his grief at the withdrawal of the historic Goan club from the I-League. He said, "Sporting Clube de Goa have contributed significantly to Indian Football since their inception. It's really sad to see them withdrawing from Hero I-League now.”