Several points were discussed in the press conference regarding the partnership deal between the two leagues.

The Premier League chief executive and the chairperson of the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), Richard Masters and Nita Ambani respectively addressed the media personnel after the concluding clash of the PL-ISL Next Generation Mumbai Cup 2020.

Both the officials took a host of questions regarding various issues and the excerpts of the same are below –

On The PL-ISL Partnership

Richard Masters said, “We have been working together for six years. The Premier League as an established league has helped the ISL to grow and events like these are really important. So, in the next three years we will focus on the young players, the youth development, the pathway towards success and also the coaching, the refereeing; we will do all we can to assist the ISL. It’s a fantastic experience for our young players to come to India, to come to a fantastic city like Mumbai, avail facilities like this and it is something that they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Thoughts On The Association Between The Two Leagues

Nita Ambani remarked, “ISL has always believed in grassroots development. At Reliance Foundation, we are following the pyramid structure of developing football at the base level. From this year we started with the 6-12, U-12 Children’s League. In the middle we have the youth sports and then the Young Champs, whom you saw play. I believe that the journey is very important and that we develop talent at a young level. I think this partnership will really help us in developing the ISL’s grassroots program and the youth program.”

Could ISL Clubs Conduct Pre-season Training Camps In England?

The Premier League CEO stated, “A number of ISL teams and their business managers have visited England and our clubs.We are going to continue that, so that they can come across England and experience the Premier League. One day, who knows, Indian players could play in European football and in the Premier League.”

He further added, “The first priority for Indian football is to have a strong domestic league. So, that’s why we want to help. The more people like football, the more people might like European football and the Premier League. Obviously, we play our football at different times, so fans can watch both competitions and support clubs from both competitions.”

Ambani stepped in to quip that she had put in an exciting proposal to Masters. She mentioned, “Also, I have requested Richard to see that the Premier League Asia Cup U-23 can be held in India because that could be really a boost for Indian football.”

FC Goa’s Qualification To The AFC Champions League

Further, the FSDL chairperson pondered upon the Gaurs’ remarkable feat and also laid out her ambitions for Indian football. “I think we are so delighted that FC Goa have created history by getting a slot to play in AFC Champions League. As you all know, now there are 48 slots (in the FIFA World Cup) and eight slots will go to Asia. We stand 19th today in Asia. If we can, in the next two years move up to the 12th slot then there is a huge opportunity that is waiting for all of us.”

ISL’s Growing Popularity And Addition Of More Clubs

Nita Ambani spoke about the increasing viewership of the Indian Super League and also conveyed her thoughts about adding more franchises in the competition. She said, “At this moment, I think we are rapidly growing with our 10 clubs. Our viewership on TV has increased by almost 40% and viewership on digital has increased by almost 80%. I think we see a rise, but we are just six years old. We don’t want to grow so much so fast that we don’t know how to kind of manage all this.”

“This year has been such a landmark for the ISL. We got the premier league status. We got Mohun Bagan and ATK – this historic partnership of the two most powerful brands in Indian football. This happened in West Bengal, which is said to be the centre and the hub of Indian football,” quoted Nita Ambani.

“Then we had the City Football Group investing in Mumbai City FC and then Goa qualifying for the Asia Cup (AFC Champions League). I think we have had so many things happening this year and from tomorrow onward the semi-finals begin, so we are just very excited.”

‘India As A Potential Growing Market For Football’

Richard Masters put forward and elaborated in detail about the collaboration and its benefits. He stated, “So, in essence, we are concentrating on youth development, coach development and referee development. That means we will swap notes. We will help the people who are responsible in the ISL to develop these areas.”

“It is about sharing knowledge and practice, showing the clubs and administration in the ISL how we do things. There are also things that we could pick. This is not just a one-way street and hopefully we can help grow interest in football in India. There’s room for more support from different leagues.”

“There are a number of factors. India is a huge country, a growing economy and we also know that cricket is No. 1 out here. So, football is growing in interest. Football has big growth potential. The fans out here are already passionate, those who are interested in football. We think there’s potential. We have a great tie-up here with Star Sports. So, I think in the future more people will get interested in football and more people will get interested in the ISL and the Premier League clubs.”

Thoughts On The Ongoing ISL Season

Richard Masters initially refused to comment on the upcoming semi-final fixtures, but reflecting upon the league stages, he said, “I know that it’s been a great season. Chennaiyin have come from nowhere to qualify. Owen Coyle is the manager. I know it’s a very exciting two weekends with the semi-finals coming up and the final behind it. As Mrs. Ambani said, the TV viewership has grown, so things look good, things look on the up,” he concluded.