Dempo's CEO confirms that club are exploring ways to return to the top-tier of Indian football
Indian football side, Dempo Sports Club's chief executive officer (CEO), Pradhyum Reddy has confirmed that they are waiting for clarity from All India Football Federation (AIFF) regarding the pathway towards a return to the top-tier of Indian football.
Dempo remain one of the more successful clubs in Indian football history and dominated the footballing sphere between 2005 to 2012, with the club winning a record five national league titles under the tutelage of Armando Colaco.
The club though pulled out of the then top-tier I-League in 2016 in protest over the relegation of the league to the second division, along with the likes of two other Goan clubs - Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa.
However the club are reportedly considering a return back to the footballing sphere as confirmed by their CEO.
"Since I joined, everyone wants to know whether we will return to the top. We also want to have some clarity. As soon as we have clarity, we can make an announcement. At the moment, with what's going on (at the AIFF), nobody knows the pathway. They have talked about, and there are rumours, about a path to the tier," Reddy said in an interview.
"If the proposed pathway is as planned where teams can play in the Second Division which is a year-long league, the winners play I-League and the winners of the I-League go into the ISL, then it's the logical progression that we will definitely look to explore," he added.
It is understood that Reddy's appointment by Dempo is a clear indication that they want to move beyond competing in the Goa Pro League, considering that he has had coaching spells with the likes of Shillong Lajong, DSK Shivajians, Bengaluru FC and FC Pune City in the past.