In a Podcast on ProSports, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee Chairman Haroon Malik revealed that the champion of the pyramid system football league will compete in the AFC Challenge Cup.
The PFF NC Chairman emphasized that it is important to have a franchise championship for 6 to 8 weeks to fund the clubs in the pyramid system league.
“Franchise championship will be like a celebration of the sport, which will provide entertainment, it will not be in a league format but a championship. The money that the franchises and league will generate, let’s say 20% of that revenue will be allocated to PFF and the Federation will distribute that amount to the clubs in the pyramid system league.” said the PFF Chairman.
Haroon Malik pointed out that if we do not adopt this approach then clubs won’t be able to sustain financially in the pyramid system league.
“It is important to understand that the clubs will not be able to generate their own money for the next 20 years if we don’t follow this approach, the government will never support them. Players from the clubs will go on loan or will be signed by the franchises just like the departments take players on loan from clubs for domestic competition. We must understand that according to the PFF Constitution, the Departments cannot own their players, they have to buy players from different clubs so that the clubs can sustain.” Haroon Malik explained further.
Upon the question of which club will be sent to the AFC Challenge League, the NC Chairman clarified, “The Champion of the Pyramid system league will be sent to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions, not the Franchise Championship.”
The NC Chairman further clarified that one cannot expect that franchises that will compete in a league of 6 weeks will pay players a salary of a whole year or help them in their development, that would be the job of the clubs in a pyramid league system.
Pakistan Football Federation has not conducted a league since 2021 when the Pakistan Premier League (PPL) was held with a total of 12 teams which included 8 departments and four clubs.