ISL: Clubs in favour of four foreigners rule in the playing eleven from 2021-22

Indian Super League (ISL) clubs have agreed to reduce the number of foreigners in their squad from the 2021-22 season, Goal can confirm.

The Technical Committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had recommended that the ISL and I-League should follow the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) guidelines and adhere to the 3+1 foreigner's rule from the 2021-22 season.

The rule will see teams being allowed to field just four foreigners on the field, with one of them required to be from an AFC-affiliated nation.

The decision was subsequently ratified by the AIFF Executive Committee, with I-League set to implement the change from the upcoming season itself while ISL was given an exemption for the 2020-21 season.

During the meeting, ISL organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) had principally agreed to the suggestion but sought time of about a month to discuss the issue internally before confirming.

AIFF President Praful Patel had asked ISL to come up with a plan to implement the rule mandatorily from the 2021-22 season. ISL had sent a letter to all the clubs, asking for their opinion on the matter subsequently.

Goal understands that most of the clubs in ISL have concurred with the recommendation of fielding a maximum of four overseas players at any given point of time on the pitch. But there are still some differences in opinion on the number of maximum foreigners that could be registered in the squad. While some want the teams to register five foreign players, a few want the number to be increased to seven.

There have been suggestions on not making it mandatory for the Asian foreigner to be in the playing XI as well.

It must be noted that all I-League clubs, barring two, had to the proposal and are ready to implement the same from the 2020-21 season itself. While one of those clubs wanted four foreigners in the squad without any Asian player, another club suggested that they should be allowed to sign five foreigners which would include an Asian player.