From the upcoming season, the AIFF is all set to organise the Super Cup at the beginning of the football calendar, positioning it as a pre-season tournament before the start of the ISL.
After the lukewarm response to the recently concluded Kalinga Super Cup in Bhubaneswar—where FC Goa clinched the title—the AIFF has unanimously decided to reshuffle the domestic tournament calendar. As per a report in the Times of India, the Super Cup will now replace the Durand Cup at the start of the season to attract better participation and fan engagement, especially since it offers a spot in AFC competitions. The Durand Cup, in turn, will be moved to the end of the season.
The AIFF is also likely to revive the prestigious but now-defunct Federation Cup, which was launched in 1977, but discontinued in 2017 in favour of the Super Cup. During a recent league-committee meeting, members unanimously agreed to restructure the scheduling of the Super Cup, Federation Cup, and Durand Cup. The Super Cup is expected to kick-off the season—most likely in September—taking the slot traditionally held by the Durand Cup.
“Whenever held at the end of the season, the Super Cup has received a poor response,” an AIFF official told TOI. “In Kerala, most teams weren’t at full strength and didn’t take the tournament seriously. Even in Bhubaneswar, two teams sent reserve squads, and three teams had no more than a couple of foreign players. If held at the start of the season, the response will be much better,” the official added.
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