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In 2015-2016 season of English Premier League, we witnessed something which made us believe that fairy tales do come true. Leicester City, the champions of EPL in last season, scripted one of the greatest underdog stories. It proved why football is the most popular sport in the world.
However, this article is not about the EPL or the heroics of Leicester City; this is about the I-League and the team Aizawl FC, who is on the verge of repeating history and do what Leicester City did in the past. If Aizawl FC draws the derby against Shillong Lajong on April 30, they’ll become the first club team from the North-East to win a major club trophy in India.
At the end of the last I-League season, Aizawl FC were relegated on its debut, despite finishing one place above the relegation spot, They suffered due to not so sensible rule of All India Football Federation (AIFF). However, that’s altogether a different story. Also read: I-league 2017: How the terrific trio Stephane Bayi Kamo, Ashutosh Mehta, Mahmoud al Amna boosted Aizawl FC’s title chances
Even after being relegated, Aizawl didn’t give up and went on to beat champions Bengaluru FC twice in the Federation Cup over two legs to reach the final which was itself a historic achievement. That was the time when the protest was started by then coach Jahar Das to bring Aizawl back in the I-League chart.
Even the governor and the chief minister of Mizoram joined the protest and sent letters to AIFF pleading to take Aizawl back into the competition. Finally, AIFF gave in, and Aizawl FC was once again added to I-league. Also, they were called back because there was no team to replace them. Also read: EPL 2016-17 Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur face stern title tests
From here begins the fairy tale, Aizawl FC from Mizoram, who weren’t even supposed to play in the I-League this season, stand on the brink of winning the title ahead of Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, and defending champions Bengaluru FC. All they need is just a point to achieve this historic feat.
This will be a fairytale considering their team budget of about Rs 2 crore which is about five times less than that of their closest rivals, mighty Mohun Bagan. The Kolkata club paid Sony Norde – a Haitian who plays as a winger, more than the entire Aizawl squad. If Aizawl win, they will earn Rs 1 crore — half of their total budget.
Aizawl’s highest paid player is not on more than Rs 2-3 lakh per month. Even Leicester City had the lowest budget in EPL when they won the championship.
In their last match, Aizwal solidified their chances of winning the league when they defeated Mohun Bagan. The match proved to be the decider of who will win the title. In their first meeting out of the two, Mohun Bagan defeated Aizawl FC 3-2.
However, in the second meeting, Aizawl hosted Mohun Bagan and defeated the visiting side by one nil, courtesy goal scored by Mahmoud al-Amna’s in the 83rd-minute corner. The picturesque stadium erupted in joy. Now they are three points ahead of Bagan.
So, while you wait and get excited about your Indian Premier League/English Premier League fixture this Sunday evening, keep in mind that the final chapter of potentially one of the greatest underdog stories in Indian sport will be unfolding and history will be created if Aizawl FC lifts the I-League cup.
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