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All Indian Super League (ISL) clubs apart from East Bengal on Thursday wrote to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) urging it to resolve the crisis in the domestic game since the current situation is reaching a point where basic operations will become a “commercial impossibility”. The federation responded by sayin in a statement that the letter has been forwarded to “relevant authorities”.
The communication comes three days before Marketing Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and its commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) for the organisation of the stricken Indian Super League (ISL) ends. A failure to renew the MRA has led to the current season of the ISL and even the second-tier I League to be put on hold, plunging Indian football into chaos.
“While majority of the clubs have continued to honour salaries and contractual dues to players and staff in good faith, the current position is not merely challenging it is approaching commercial impossibility and risks rendering ongoing operations untenable,” the clubs said in a letter to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey.
The 12 ISL clubs are FC Goa, Sporting Club Delhi, NorthEast United FC, Jamshedpur FC, Bengaluru FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Chennauyin FC, Mumbai City FC, Kerala Blasters, Punjab FC, Odisha FC and Mohammedan Sporting. Inter Kashi, which won the I-League and were promoted to the ISL for the upcoming season, was also involved in the move.
“For nearly eleven years, ISL clubs have continued to invest substantially in football in India despite persistent losses on strength of a predictable league structure and, most critically, central revenue. This revenue stream has historically been the principal source of income that enabled clubs to manage salaries, infrastructure, and sporting operations.” “With the expiry of the MRA and the consequent absence of a commercial rights holder, central revenue has ceased entirely. The uncertainty has also caused local sponsors to withdraw or pause commercial commitments, leaving clubs with no viable income whatsoever, despite ongoing obligations.” The clubs also suggested that the AIFF work with the government to submit the actions proposed to be taken with regards to the issues highlighted during the meeting with sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya on or before December 8 so that the apex court is apprised of the remedial pathway.
“… time is now of the essence. The viability of the clubs and indeed the future of the ISL and the Indian football ecosystem depends on immediate steps being placed before the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
“It is, therefore, imperative that the report of the Union of India and/or the AIFF on the actions proposed to be taken in respect of the issues highlighted herein be filed on or before 8 December 2025, so that the Court is apprised of the remedial pathway and commercial certainty can be restored without further delay.” They said any extension beyond this date “risks (causing) irreversible harm to the ecosystem painstakingly built over the past decade.” In reply to the letter, the AIFF said it is “forwarding your mail to the Ministry of Sports, Govt of India for their information and necessary action.”
“The AIFF shall also put in all possible effort as per our AIFF Constitution to ensure ISL gets a long-term sustainable model for growth and development of Indian football.
“We are also forwarding this mail to KPMG to work on a suitable solution, including the possibility of issuing a re-tender keeping time constraints in mind.”
Since the adoption of the Supreme Court mandated Constitution, the AIFF has struggled to find bidders under the current Request for Qualification(RFQ) document that asked for Rs 37.5 crores or 5% gross revenue to win the commercial rights of the Indian Super League.
The lack of interest in the bid document has caused widespread panic in the football ecosystem. It is during this period of uncertainty over the ISL that Bengaluru FC announced on Friday that its head coach Gerard Zaragoza would be leaving the club, along with his staff. Several clubs such as Kerala Blasters and Mohun Bagan Super Giant have suspended first team operations and players are apprehensive that salaries could be withheld with clubs invoking force majeure.
(With PTI inputs)
