ISL to resume from Feb 14
The development ends months of uncertainty that followed a protracted legal battle due to the absence of a commercial partner for ISL
Kolkata: The 12th season of Indian Super League (ISL) will begin on February 14. The announcement on Tuesday in New Delhi by union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya ends months of uncertainty that stemmed from a long legal battle followed by the absence of a commercial partner for the top tier men’s competition.
If 14 teams play, ISL will have 91 matches played on a single-leg format with a yet undecided number of games home and away. AIFF is keen on capping the cost of running the league at ₹25 crore this term and the national body will pick up 40% of the tab which will be around ₹10 crore. The rest will have to be borne by the clubs.
A back-of-the envelope calculation puts that amount at around ₹2 crore each including a participation fee of ₹1 crore which, AIFF has said, can be paid over four instalments till May 31. AIFF will also pay 40% or ₹5 crore whichever is less to run the I-League top tier this season. A plan has also been mooted to clubs I-League 2 and 3 into one competition with 40 teams spread over five venues.
“(The) government, the football federation and all 14 clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal included, had a meeting and we have decided that the ISL will start on February 14. All clubs will participate,” PTI quoted Mandaviya as saying.
Later on Tuesday, Odisha FC have said they would need time and clarity on promotion and relegation before confirming. FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur said they will write to the minister asking for help in pruning costs including stadium rent and request that the participation fee be waived.
“I would like to thank all the stakeholders without whose help we would not have been able to resolve this crisis,” Kalyan Chaubey, the AIFF president, told HT. “There were many factors that led to this delay: a new constitution and the absence of commercial partners being two major reasons. The AIFF had little role in either but we had always maintained that the league will happen.”
Mandar Tamhane, CEO of NorthEast United, agreed. “The AIFF’s financial contribution underlines their clear intent to ensure the league gets underway,” he said. “The collective decision taken today by the ISL clubs and the AIFF, in the presence of the Hon. Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, reflects a shared commitment to the best interests of Indian football.”
The league will be run by a board that will have autonomy on decisions pertaining to commercial aspects. AIFF will have a veto power on essential aspects such as format and disciplinary matters. “We are looking to form the board by January 10 after consulting the clubs and our legal cell,” said Satyanarayan M, AIFF’s deputy secretary-general.
AIFF also shared a detailed plan with dates from January 5 to May 31 on how the discussions on the 20-year proposal for ISL will be conducted.
Earlier on Tuesday, an AIFF emergent executive committee meeting approved the amounts to be allocated. “In the long-term proposal, AIFF is supposed to pay 10% with the commercial partner picking up 30%. But, it is possible that there will be no commercial partner for this season. So, AIFF agreed to increase its share in the expense,” said Avijit Paul, executive committee member. With four teams set to represent India in Asian competitions in 2026, it was a difficult call to take, Paul said.
Chaubey and six CEOs of ISL clubs met the sports ministry representatives in New Delhi with other CEOs joining online. The clubs were asked whether they would participate, said a person who was present. Some CEOs said they needed to ask their owners so the meeting reconvened 45 minutes later. Most clubs agreed with Goa asking for time because the owner could not be reached.
