Morgan defends IPL-style football tournament

Former East Bengal coach Trevor Morgan, who is in charge of IMG-Reliance League's one-month training camp, said new IPL-style football tournament would benefit the game even if it makes 50 percent of the impact as it did for cricket.

"The IPL has taken Indian cricket to another level and that has gone down right through the system. If (this) league has half that effect on the game of football in India then it would be great," said the Perth-based Englishman.

Morgan hit back at the critics of the league saying it would be unfair to criticise a programme even before it has started.

"You can't run a programme down even before the season has started. The plans that IMG have are fantastic, the people (players) they want to try to bring in and to spread the game right across India. To get a chance to see players we only saw on television would be a great opportunity for all football fans across India," he said.

Asked if the new event will affect the showpiece I-League, Morgan said: "Nobody is going to know that until it actually happens. It could be the best thing that could happen to the I-League, it may not (also), who knows. But it (IMG-Reliance tournament) certainly is a great concept and it is fantastic. Only time will tell if it is going to be successful."

Morgan said he has to work on the fitness of the 37-contracted players during his one-month stint.

"I am here just to help the players with their fitness. It's not my team. I need to help players when they go to their clubs and the relevant places that they go, that they are up to the level of fitness that the other players would be. I am just going to be working on their fitness," he said.