Amidst growing uncertainty over the conduct of the 2025-26 Indian Super League season, officials of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) will meet CEOs of eight ISL clubs this Thursday in New Delhi.
With the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited – which runs India’s top flight – in limbo, heads of clubs such as Bengaluru FC, Kerala Blasters and FC Goa had written to the AIFF on July 28 seeking a meeting.
Among the biggest signs of distress is that multiple clubs have scaled back operations and even pulled out of the ongoing Durand Cup. Odisha FC has suspended player contracts, and Bengaluru FC, champion in 2018-19 and a three-time runner-up, including last year, has informed its players that salaries would be held back until there is clarity from the AIFF.
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It is to be noted that the AIFF and FSDL cannot go ahead with discussions to renew the MRA, which expires this December. The Supreme Court of India, which entrusted the preparation of a new constitution for AIFF to retd. Justice L. Nageswara Rao has barred the two parties from negotiating until it delivers the judgment in a case related to the election of AIFF office-bearers in violation of the National Sports Code back in 2017.
It is also a matter of concern that in the limited parleys AIFF and FSDL held before the SC stricture, the two football entities were not on the same page with respect to the framework of the new agreement.
It is still not clear when the SC will pronounce the judgment that it reserved on April 30. It also remains to be seen whether the National Sports Governance Bill, set to be introduced in the Parliament by the Union Government in the ongoing monsoon session, has any bearing on the final SC-approved AIFF constitution.
