ISL, I-League merger by 2018: AIFF

"We are not viewing it as a merger of ISL and I-League. It is a review of Indian club football structure. So far, we have held only initial discussions. There will be several more discussions regarding it.

"No benchmark or time frame has been targeted to complete the process. But we are trying to do it as soon as possible. We are trying to do it by 2017, or else it will be done in 2018.

"We are looking at how to do it, when to do it, so it is not simply a merger. The top league will be opened to allow bids from other clubs. But it would be wrong to call it a merger," Das said on the sidelines of a programme, reported IANS.

The Indian Super League came into existence in 2014, after the I-League, India’s premier football league, found it tough to connect with the masses. The two seasons of the IPL-style franchise based tournament has diminished the popularity of the I-League even further.

"The existing calendar in the country is problematic. First ISL, then I-League, then Federation Cup -- that forced such a step. The new league will stretch from October to March. It will solve the prevalent problems regarding scheduling and calendar," Das said.

However, Das refused to divulge more details about the formation of the unified league and said that the discussions are only at a preliminary stage.