AFC approves AIFF proposal, grants official status to ISL

Following the recommendation from the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the Competitions Committee of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has approved that the Indian Super League (ISL) Champions will play in the AFC Cup.

The decision was taken at a meeting held by the Competitions Committee of the AFC in Doha today.

The AIFF's recommendation to the AFC was that the ISL winner should be allocated an AFC Cup Qualifier spot.

On the back of strengthening club participation from eight to ten teams in the Hero Indian Super League, its soaring viewership and the league's commitment to grassroots football paying off,

ISL has initiated a change which will now see a newer, longer league - both in terms of number of matches moving up from 61 to 95 and the duration from two and a half months to five months.

Hero Indian Super League 2017 Player Drafts held last Sunday in Mumbai witnessed ten clubs spend Rs. 48.85 crore to secure signatures of 156 players.

The fourth season of Hero Indian Super League - scheduled to begin on November 17, 2017 - will feature a minimum of 150 and maximum 180 Indian players including 29 Indian national players.