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Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Indian football on the edge as top-tier ISL is kept on hold
Panaji: Indian football plunged into further chaos after Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the body that owns and organises the (ISL), wrote to the All India Football Federation and the clubs that the country's top-tier league is being kept on hold. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Last month, FSDL, a joint venture between Reliance and Star which runs the league, and are commercial partners of AIFF, met club owners and told them that the league will not kick off, unless there is clarity over the 15-year Master Rights Agreement (MRA) that ends on December 8 later this year. Now, those words have been put on record, setting the proverbial cat among the pigeons. 'We regret to inform you that we are currently not in a position to proceed with the 2025–26 ISL season,' FSDL said in the letter to all clubs on Thursday. 'We are placing it on hold until further clarity emerges on the contractual structure beyond end of current MRA term. We assure you that this decision has not been taken lightly.' The ISL is India's top-tier football league, handed the status by the AIFF in 2019 and approved by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The I-League, at the top of the pyramid until then, was relegated to the second division. FSDL said it was important for the clubs to be informed of the evolving situation, and in the interest of transparency, 'to enable all clubs to plan appropriately for any potential contingencies.' 'It is considerate of FSDL to keep the clubs informed,' said NorthEast United CEO Mandar Tamhane. 'What they have communicated is not entirely new to us. There is a difference between the league being put on hold and the season being cancelled. At NorthEast United, we are fully focused on preparing to defend our Durand Cup title and remain hopeful that there will be clarity soon.' Until there is clarity – possibly next week when the Supreme Court delivers its final order on the AIFF Constitution – those associated with the league will be on the edge. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now FSDL said discussions with AIFF on the potential renewal of the MRA were initiated several months ago, but remained inconclusive. 'In the absence of a confirmed contractual framework beyond December, we find ourselves unable to effectively plan, organise, or commercialise the 2025–26 ISL season.' The current agreement guarantees AIFF an annual payment of Rs 50 crore, in exchange for the marketing rights of all properties. Signed in 2010, the agreement is now up for renewal. On March 8, at a meeting in Mumbai, FSDL suggested formation of a new holding company that governs, operates, commercialises and funds ISL, with clubs (60%, equal across all clubs), FSDL (26%) and AIFF (14%) as the shareholders. AIFF, though, insisted on an all-cash deal – Rs 50 crore annually with a five percent increase – in an email on April 21, only for the marketing partners to officially turn it down three days later. In May, the Supreme Court instructed AIFF and FSDL to not enter into any negotiations, till the final verdict is passed on the AIFF constitution. 'As of now, the AIFF cannot do much. Until the Supreme Court orders, we cannot enter into any negotiations,' said a senior official. The latest communication from FSDL has put some clubs in a fix. The likes of East Bengal, , NorthEast United FC and even FC Goa – due to take part in the AFC Champions League Two Playoff next month -- have all made foreign signings and secured permission from the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to obtain visas. Others like Chennaiyin FC, Odisha, Hyderabad and Jamshedpur chose to adopt a wait-and-wait approach, not just delaying start of pre-season training but also keeping talks with foreign players on hold. , meanwhile, have informed their foreign players that they are free to sign elsewhere, with Spanish striker Jesus Jimenez making a move to Polish top-division club Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza. 'For me, playing consistently without breaks is important at this stage in my career,' said Jimenez, while highlighting the uncertainty around Indian football right now. 'Even though I was under contract, the club understood the situation and was empathetic regarding my move to Europe.'
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Next ISL season put on hold, adding to the bleak picture of Indian men's football
The 2025/26 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) has been put on hold amid uncertainty over the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between event organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The FSDL informed all ISL clubs of the development in a letter on Friday. The ISL usually runs from September to April and the current MRA ends on December 8, 2025, in the third month of the league. The Indian Express has learnt that the FSDL has written to the ISL clubs that it is unable to effectively 'plan, organise, or commercialise' the 2025-26 ISL season. The letter states that while discussions between the two parties over renewal of the MRA were initiated several months ago, they 'remain inconclusive at this time'. The FSDL further says in the letter that it is hence placing the ISL 'on hold until further clarity emerges on the contractual structure beyond the end of current MRA term'. NorthEast United FC CEO Mandar Tamhane confirmed that the club has received the letter from FSDL and stated that what has been communicated isn't 'entirely new' to them. 'It's considerate of FSDL to keep the clubs informed. What they've communicated isn't entirely new to us. There's a difference between the league being put on hold and the season being cancelled. At NorthEast United FC, we are fully focused on preparing to defend our Durand Cup title and remain hopeful that there will be clarity soon,' Tamhane told this paper. The uncertainty around the next ISL season emerged when the tournament, which is now the top-tier of men's football in the country, was conspicuously absent from the AIFF's 2025/26 competition calendar. According to the current MRA which was signed in 2010, the FSDL pays the AIFF Rs 50 crore annually, and in turn gets the rights to broadcast, manage and commercialise various aspects of Indian football, including the national team. Mohun Bagan Super Giant won the 2024/25 season of the ISL, beating Bengaluru FC in the final at Kochi. They had earlier topped the league table as well and this made them the first team to have achieved the double of winning the League Shield and the ISL Trophy in the same season. It was Bagan's second ISL title, having previously won it in 2023. Friday's development comes amid a larger spate of negative news around men's football in the country. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, along with most of the federation's leadership, had hosted a lengthy press conference last month, just days after India were beaten by lower-ranked Hong Kong in the third round of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers. However, the top brass evaded questions related to the status of the partnership between AIFF and the FSDL at the time. This was followed closely by the AIFF announcing that they have parted ways with men's national team head coach Manolo Marquez. India have also dropped to 133 in the latest FIFA rankings, their worst position in nine years. In this scenario, the women's team qualifying for the AFC Asian Cup, on merit, is the only good news coming out of Indian football of late.
