Manchester City’s investment in Mumbai City another validation of the Indian Super League

Manchester City are on the verge of entering the Indian market in what is another growing validation of the rise of the Indian Super League (ISL). With Mumbai City FC set to become the latest crown jewel of the City Football Group (CFG), the Premier League giants’ foray into Indian football is imminent.

One only has to look at Manchester City’s own success and that of Girona and New York City FC in recent times to know that good things are around the corner for both Mumbai and the ISL as a whole.

While CFG’s ever increasing portfolio has seen them invest considerable sums into the world of football, it is the extremely meticulous planning and longsighted vision they have brought to each and every club under their umbrella which has seen them become the envy of other European giants.

With its vast network spread over eight clubs and four different continents, CFG have pushed each and every one of them to greater heights since taking them over with the help of some clever resource sharing and management.

That India is the third Asian market City have chosen to enter after their forays into Japan and China speaks volumes about the impact of the ISL since its inception in 2014. The now 10-team league has been setting the standards and pace in Indian football over the past five years from the high-profile signings to its quality broadcast and media coverage.

The league has managed to attract some big names in the past who would have otherwise never envisioned playing football in India while it has also seen an influx of some highly talented coaches like Sergio Lobera and Jorge Costa who have imposed their own philosophies on the Indian players.

With its lucrative salary packages and the opportunity to play alongside players of a higher calibre, the ISL’s effect on the Indian National Team has been far reaching. The Indian team which qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in the UAE was made up almost exclusively of ISL players and it is no coincidence that the fortunes of the squad have improved since the league’s advent.

Those standards are only going to be raised even further once CFG start their work at Mumbai City with a world-class coaching setup, a solid youth development programme and state-of-the-art infrastructure and training facilities expected to arrive at the ISL club.

European investment in Indian football has been growing in recent years with Atletico Madrid’s now defunct partnership with ATK being one of the most prominent ones. However, nothing in the past will be able to compare to the scale of investment CFG will be able to bring to Mumbai and India.

Also, City’s arrival in India is bound to turn the heads of other Premier League and European clubs who have been eyeing a foray into the Indian market for a while but have held off on making any investment so far. CFG’s Mumbai City takeover is a massive vote of confidence in the ISL’s future and could very well open the floodgates for others to dip their toes into Indian football.

The ISL might divide opinions among many in Indian football but there is no denying that the competition is bringing some much-needed changes and development which the sport in the country has desperately been crying out for in the past.