Mumbai needs more top-level clubs: Indian football star Jayesh Rane

Jayesh Rane

India footballer Jayesh Rane believes Mumbai needs more professional teams in top competitions, like the Indian Super League, to create opportunities for players and strengthen the sport's development.

"If you have to grow football in Mumbai or even in the country, there has to be more top teams. Currently, Mumbai has only one team, Mumbai City FC, in the ISL. When I was starting out, there were so many opportunities. In Mumbai, we had Air India, ONGC, Mahindra & Mahindra, and Mumbai, to name a few," Rane told mid-day on the sidelines of the U-14 boys and U-16 girls finals of the MSSA-Dream Sports inter-school football tournament at the Wings Sports Centre in Bandra recently, where he was invited as chief guest.

Speaking about the ISL and Jamshedpur FC's withdrawal, Inter Kashi midfielder Rane said: "For most of the [ISL team] owners, it's about business. And if they don't get the money they are putting in, it's understandable [to withdraw]. But the bigger picture should be the growth of the game across the country and that can only happen if we have more top-level clubs in the country."