Soumyadwip Dey: "The federation, the country doesn’t promote the I League’s importance enough and those in it feel it."

The 31-year-old on his difficulties in latching onto the football analyst industry and where the struggles have been emerging at an organisational level in India.

Soumyadwip Dey says the heat can mean housework sometimes takes longer than usual. It’s 10am in the UK, 15:30 in West Bengal. He apologises for being late, but he’s relieved to hear he’s not actually an hour behind as he thought. I tell him I wish I could relate to the heat, but us Brits have been going around in shorts in 13° weather compared to the 36° heat he’s been dealing with in Kolkata. He gruesomely describes how much worse it can be when you have a 14:30 game against the runners up of the I League from the last two seasons, Sreenidi Deccan FC, as Gokulam Kerala FC do the next day in a stadium where Soumyadwip says even the cameras struggle to see out a game, let alone the players.

In a world where the tactical side of football is constantly evolving, football analyst Soumyadwip Dey is, as many technical staff are, modestly bringing data driven insights to the game. Unlike many who enter the footballing world with a fixed vision, Soumyadwip's career began with uncertainty.

"When I initially got into the football industry, I didn’t know about a lot of things," he admits. "My plan was to get a few coaching badges and maybe take that path."

It was during his tenure at Mohun Bagan, one of the Indian Super League’s ISL most decorated clubs, that he stumbled upon his passion.

"I was working as an operations manager, handling both the senior and youth teams," he recalls.

However, just as he was making the transition, the world was hit by COVID 19, making an already niche profession even harder to break into.

"Clubs here work with very tight budgets, and finding opportunities was difficult," he says.

Yet, adversity led him to an unexpected opportunity, sports journalism.

"I started writing, interviewing people, and it actually helped refine my understanding of football," he explains. "It meant I was asking more technical questions to coaches and players, rather than the typical fan perspective."

After a year out of the game, Soumyadwip’s stint as a free agent was over after he landed his position with Gokulam, who play in the I League, long term rivals of the ISL. But before he was making Luis Figo style career jumps, he reflects on how his journey may have taken an entirely different route.

Despite his deep seated love for football and his father’s journey in numerous sports, Soumyadwip had dreams of a different playing career, music.

"My father played both football and hockey, and he even coached hockey for a while," he shares. "But he also had a government job and always worried about sports not being a stable career. He wasn’t persistent about me following sports."

"So, for a while, yes, I was distracted from sports. Then, I saw this interview of Michael Schenker, the guitarist? I think he was 14 years old when his parents told him he could either be a musician or a footballer. After seeing that, I asked myself the same question."

"I really sat through that night, one sleepless night I remember. And by morning, I was fixated on the idea that I wanted to be in football."

"I love music. I had big ambitions, but football is something that I've played as a kid. Maybe I've not played professionally, but it’s stuck so much within me that I can't let it go. I called up some old friends and told them, ‘You guys told me that I would do something in football. It’s finally happening.’"

At Gokulam Kerala FC, analysis is meticulous, involving breaking down matches into digestible insights for players and coaching staff, but it doesn’t come without its difficulties, like aligning with a coach’s philosophy, says Soumyadwip.

"We eliminate errors, track performance, and ensure that we don’t repeat mistakes. It’s all about refining the team’s approach."

The technological gap between Indian football and top European leagues remains a pressing issue, hindering the overall development of the sport. While clubs in Europe have access to cutting edge data analytics and AI assisted performance analysis, many Indian teams still struggle with basic infrastructure, such as GPS trackers and real time data collection tools.

"There was a time when coaches in India didn’t even use GPS trackers," says Soumyadwip. "I once had a coach ask why he should track heart rates, joking that a player’s heartbeat might be higher just because his girlfriend texted him!"

"In my early days, I had several disagreements with coaches," he admits. "I’d see a situation one way, they’d see it another. But I’ve been fortunate that most coaches I’ve worked with have been open to discussion. One coach told me, ‘You might serve me a piece of meat, but I’ll decide how to cook it.’ That stuck with me."

One of the biggest ongoing debates in Indian football is the structure of the leagues, particularly the relationship between the I League and the ISL.

"Every player you see in Indian football, whether in the ISL or the national team, started in the I League," Soumyadwip points out. "The problem is that we don’t promote the I League’s importance enough."

The fragmented system between the Indian Super League ISL and the I League creates further challenges. The ISL enjoys more financial backing and visibility, while the I League has historically been the backbone of player development. Critics, such as ex All India Football Federation president Praful Patel, argue that the lack of a unified league system stifles long term progress, as clubs outside the ISL often lack the resources to compete.

This structural divide means that talented players emerging from the I League have an unclear pathway to higher competition, limiting their growth compared to counterparts in more integrated football systems. Bridging these gaps, both technological and structural, remains one of the most significant challenges for Indian football’s future.

"I League clubs have been instrumental in developing talent. The best players often emerge from here before moving to bigger leagues. The challenge is in bridging the commercial and structural gaps," says Soumyadwip.

Despite the growing role of analytics in football, Soumyadwip acknowledges that the industry still has barriers.

"In India, people often judge an analyst based on whether they played professional football," he explains. "But analysis isn’t about how well you can kick a ball, it’s about understanding the game."

"At the end of the day, my goal is simple, to make teams better, to contribute to football in any way I can, despite challenges. That’s what drives me."