Giving in to the pressure from the country's leading clubs, the All India Football Federation on Wednesday decided to allow clubs to register two foreign players in the second division National Football League.
It also allowed foreign players in all other soccer tournaments except in the 3rd division NFL.
After a nearly two-and-a-half hour long meeting of Executive Committee here, AIFF President Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters in New Delhi that "for first division NFL and Federation Cup, clubs will be allowed to register three foreign players while two players will be allowed in second division".
"There will be no foreigners in the third division NFL," he said.
Dasmunsi further said "for AIFF registered tournaments like the Durand Cup and Governor's Gold Cup, the clubs will be allowed to register a maximum of two foreign players in the final registration submitted to the tournament organisers before the first match".
"For state leagues and knock-out tournaments too, clubs will be allowed to register two foreigners," he said.
The AIFF had banned foreign players in the second Division last season and was contemplating to extend the ban to state leagues and various all-India tournaments.
But the move was strongly opposed by the Indian Football Association and Goa Football Association alongwith most of the leading clubs in Kolkata and Goa.