Kolkata -- Mohun Bagan have written to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) asking them to maintain status quo regarding the allotment of AFC Cup slots. Bagan had expressed concern at the possibility of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) giving one spot to the ISL winning team as per a proposal.
"The AIFF wants to give one slot to ISL to play in the AFC Cup. As per the meeting in Mumbai, I-League is the only official league so there's no need to change the existing system," Mohun Bagan general secretary Anjan Mitra said.
As of now, the I-League winners automatically play the AFC Champions League play-off while the runners-up play the AFC Cup in two berths which has been guaranteed for a few seasons.
But in the recent AFC Congress, the AIFF has sought for an extra berth in an apparent move to allot the quota to the winners of the ISL, which is not deemed official.
"We have written to the AFC secretary and the AIFF president to maintain the status-quo," Mitra said. "The I-League would remain the official league and, therefore, we want I-League clubs to get to play the AFC Champions League qualifiers and AFC Cup."