Has Indian Super League finished off Kolkata's iconic clubs?

The Indian Super League has also had an impact upon the old sports franchises of Kolkata as well, which included several big names from the old clubs of Kolkata.

Kolkatta had a long history in football and the people continue to remember fierce and bitter rivalry between Mohun Bagan A.C. and SC East Bengal and Mohammedan SC. The old clubs like Mohun Bagan and East Bengal (migrants from now Bangladesh) had loyal and strong fan bases that divided friends and family . During the derby matches, the city was  divided into two sections, the Mohun Bagan and East Bengal supporters, and resulted in many pitched street battles and riots.

Initially, the Indian Super League were attracting, an audience of approximately  45,000 per match . When the two major leagues (ISL and I-league) did not overlap. Indian Super League carried out its season between October and December, the I-league from January to April. However, last few years, the two leagues are overlapping each other, and the fan base has been split ever since.

There is a significant impact of the Indian Super League upon the club structure of the old clubs. ATK merging with Mohun Bagan impacted I-league performances. It is a big triumph for Reliance nonetheless. The Indian Super League is a franchise of Football Sports Development Limited (Reliance Industry subsidiary) managed to attract new fans through marketing and TV broadcasts. Know foreign players from La Liga and English Premier League were hired. It also became more successful in comparison to the I-league. The Indian Super League is providing more sponsors and money to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) compared to the I-league matches.

The I-league has witnessed a massive drop in audiences over the years. The galleries are mostly vacant during matches, and it is evident that the fan base is dwindling and the clubs will not recover. Management of old clubs should also be blamed for the downward slide of the I League

The advent of the Indian Super League, its sponsorships, and far-reaching popularity across India are making an impact on the club structure of Kolkata. It is most evident with the merger of Mohun Bagan’s Football section with the ATK Football Club in 2020 to form ATK Mohun Bagan FC. They started competing in ISL from the 2020 season.