New Delhi: After Bob Houghton, it was Bhaichung Bhutia’s turn on Saturday to call for a 14-team I-League next season.

The Indian captain, who was conferred with the Padmashree on Saturday, was confident that a 14-team I-League would be more beneficial for the game and the players in India.

“Now that the federation (All India Football Federation) is trying to expand the I-League and discourage tournaments like Durand Cup, Rovers Cup or the IFA Shield, it had a chance to make the league more broad-based and competitive with 14-teams,” Bhaichung said.

“With 12 teams, the league may last six months,” Bhaichung felt. “To add to it, the Federation Cup may be played for a month. What will the players do for the rest of the season?

“The clubs won’t pay salaries for nothing. They would rather enter tournaments like Durand or IFA Shield. Personally, I would prefer a league that runs for seven or eight months,” India’s longest serving captain said.

Two more teams in the fray would also open the doors for at least 20 more footballers to showcase their skill at the highest level, Bhaichung said. He, however, wasn’t convinced with the federation’s decision to reduce the number of foreigners in the league.

“The previous rule that allowed the I-League clubs to recruit four foreigners and field three for an I-League match was better,” said Bhaichung. “The new rule (that clubs can enrol only three foreigners) would put the clubs at a disadvantage.

“The clubs, after all, spend huge amounts to recruit foreign players,” Bhaichung pointed out. “It would be a big blow for the club even if one player gets injured. It might cripple the balance of the side.”

The seasoned pro, however, was more concerned that the AIFF was yet to come out with a uniform contract for all professional footballers in India.

“They do have a model contract but that lacks quite a few points. The federation has taken it from the Football Association of one of the European nations,” Bhaichung said. “Not all the points in it suit the situation in India.”

“We, on behalf of Football Players Association of India (of which Bhaichung is the president) submitted a model contract after consulting lawyers. I showed it to a few clubs and all of them liked it. But the federation is yet to give us its feedback,” Bhaichung said.

The Mohun Bagan striker agreed that the clubs and the AIFF would have to do something drastic to arrest the decline in popularity of the I-League.

“The clubs in India are hardly pro active. I have been playing for Mohun Bagan and East Bengal for so many years but have never seen them doing any community service to increase the popularity of the game.

“At the same time, the federation will also have to refresh the I-League package to attract spectators,” Bhaichung said.