In terms of crowd engagement, the season 2022–2023 has been one of the most successful. After two years, fans were welcomed back into the stadium and wreaked havoc this season. ATK Mohun Bagan won the title for the first time, and shortly after that, the team’s management announced the club’s renaming as Mohun Bagan Supergiants. There were several changes from the previous season that made this one far more exciting and interesting for fans, such as the league being played over a five-month period, which allowed each team to properly analyze their team, work on it, and come back stronger. The new playoff system also made the league more competitive, as we saw teams in form perform well in the playoff and reach the final rather than the teams who finished first and second in the league stage.
Still, there is always room for improvement, and we can clearly see the weak areas where the AIFF needs to work in order to improve the quality of Indian football ahead of the season. AIFF has already implemented the promotion of teams from the I-league (second tier championship) to the ISL due to several complaints from I-league representatives that players want to leave their teams and play for the ISL because the majority of Indian team scouting is done in that league, so the winner of the I-league 2022–23, Roundglass Punjab, will play in the ISL 2023–24. To make the ISL more competitive, the relegation rule will be implemented beginning with the 2024–25 season.
AIFF is attempting to keep players practicing by introducing several leagues and creating a complete ecosystem out of it. Players who have just finished playing the ISL have begun playing for the Hero Super Cup, where they will compete against I-League teams. AFL preparation can also be seen because Indians have three qualifying slots and a chance to represent Indian clubs at the Asian level.
However, certain changes are unquestionably required to improve the quality of games in the ISL. We need the VAR technology to be implemented so that incorrect decisions can be reviewed and overturned instantly. Furthermore, the refereeing should be improved by appointing more skilled individuals, as we have seen some controversy caused by poor decisions. Coaching staff should be more efficient, and they should be given better technology and infrastructure to analyze players and improve their football quality.
