Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City among several ISL clubs hesitant to release players for U-23 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers

Indian football has reached a crossroad it had come to, 14 years ago, before the Nehru Cup 2009, when first-division (then I-League) clubs had refused to release players for National Camp. This time, the clubs are from Indian Super League and the competitions at hand are the U-23 AFC Asian Cup 2024 qualifiers. According to sources, a few ISL clubs, with East Bengal, Mumbai City FC and Kerala Blasters being three of them, have written to the All India Football Federation, requesting to reconsider the plea to release players (for the national camp).

Indian football has reached a crossroad it had come to, 14 years ago, before the Nehru Cup 2009, when first-division (then I-League) clubs had refused to release players for National Camp.

This time, the clubs are from Indian Super League and the competitions at hand are the U-23 AFC Asian Cup 2024 qualifiers.

According to sources, a few ISL clubs, with East Bengal, Mumbai City FC and Kerala Blasters being three of them, have written to the All India Football Federation, requesting to reconsider the plea to release players (for the national camp).

“We have not received any letter from ISL clubs regarding Asian Games. Some clubs have written to us regarding the release of players for the U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers,” Shaji Prabhakaran, the Secretary General of AIFF told Sportstar.

“We understand their compulsions but important is to come together and look at the larger picture to elevate our football through our collective effort and take this as ‘Project Indian football.’”

The U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers will be played in Dalian, China between September 6-12, with the preparatory camp scheduled in Bhubaneswar from August 12.