“Initiatives Like RFDL Are the Need of the Hour for Young Football Talent” – Owen Coyle, Head Coach of Chennaiyin FC

by Sakshi Bhosale November 25, 2024

The Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) returns with its fourth season today in Goa, a state synonymous with India’s footballing spirit.

Bringing together 54 teams from across the nation, the league remains the country’s premiere developmental football platform.

RFDL is committed to identifying and nurturing the next generation of football stars by providing a structured pathway from grassroots to professional levels.

Building Pathways to Success

RFDL has consistently produced talent who have gone on to represent clubs in the Indian Super League (ISL), I-League, and the Indian national team. With around 45 players transitioning to the Indian Super League (ISL). Notable alumni include Sivasakthi Narayanan, Naorem Roshan Singh, Vibin Mohanan, and Mohammed Aimen, among others.

Emphasizing the importance of platforms like RFDL, Owen Coyle, Head Coach of Chennaiyin FC, stated:

“With the population of India, I think we have a huge potential for football, especially at the youth levels. Initiatives like Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL) are the need of the hour to provide a much-deserved platform and opportunity for talent. While the Indian Super League is doing its part for the senior teams, I think we must catch these talented players at a young age, provide them with the right kind of opportunities, and enable them to make their way to the national team.”

RFDL 2024/25 Overview:

• 54 teams participating across nine zones in India including North-East (Meghalaya – Assam, Mizoram and Rest of India), Goa, Kerala, and Mumbai, this season marks the league’s most extensive outreach.
• Features clubs from ISL, I-League, I-League 2nd and 3rd Divisions, academies, and state teams, representing Indian football’s broad spectrum.

  Multi phased Format:

• Divided into four phases: Regional Qualifiers, Zonal Group Stage, National Group Stage, and National Championship.
• Over 285 matches to be played with the introduction of a zonal stage that will see the top teams from each region play more matches v higher quality opposition

National Group Stage and National Championship:

• 12 sides from pan India that top the Zonal stage progress to the National Group Stage. The National Group Stage will feature 30 matches across 2 groups with the winners & runners-up from each group booking their spot for the National Championship. 
• The National Championship involves two semi-finals, a third-place playoff, and the summit clash that will crown the champions.

The top teams that feature in the national stage will be playing at least 20 matches with the majority of them being played against the best teams across all levels (regional, zonal and national level), providing youngsters with an opportunity to test themselves out against the best in their age category.

The newly added Rest of India Zone’s matches will be hosted in Shillong and will feature teams from Manipur, Nagaland (TBC), Arunachal Pradesh and Jamshedpur FC, with the focus being on creating opportunities across all talent hotbeds and regions with teams from all tiers of Indian football having the chance to aim for ultimate glory.

Eligibility and Format

• Players must be born on or after January 1, 2004.
• Teams may include up to four players born on or after January 1, 2002, in their matchday squads, with no more than two on the playing XI at a time.
• Participants must be at least 15 years old.

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