13 clubs have confirmed for truncated ISL, AIFF hoping for Odisha FC to join: sources

New Delhi, Jan 7 (PTI) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is hoping that Odisha FC will confirm their participation for the delayed 2025-26 Indian Super League (ISL) season, which is set to start on February 14.

On Tuesday, Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced that the ISL, which was on pause due to the lack of a commercial partner, will start on February 14 with all the 14 clubs taking part, but it is learnt that Odisha FC have sought time till Thursday to confirm their participation.

"Thirteen clubs have confirmed participation while Odisha FC have sought time till tomorrow. The AIFF is hoping that they (Odisha FC) will do that on Thursday," a source privy to the development told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

"After that we will start working on other details like the schedule of the league in consultation with the clubs." Incidentally, Odisha FC have not taken part in the Durand Cup and Super Cup, which was held to give competitive matches to the clubs due to the uncertainty in the ISL, earlier this year. They had also suspended player and staff contracts in August last year.

The top-tier ISL will feature 91 matches, assuming that Odisha FC take part, on a home-and-away basis. Each team will play 13 matches. If Odisha FC pull out, then there will be 78 matches with each team playing 12 games.

In any case, it will be a tough task to squeeze 91 (or 78) matches in such a short window. In the last edition (2024-25), the ISL final was held on April 12. There will be a FIFA window from March 23-31 when India play their 2027 Asian Cup qualifying round match, though they are already out of reckoning. Then there is the heat factor beyond April.

"Each team will play how many home matches or how many away matches will be decided by the clubs among themselves, after taking into account different factors," the source said.

The AIFF is not financially involved in the hosting of the matches, except for the expenses relating to referees and match commissioners, among others.

It is also learnt that the AIFF has agreed to allow the clubs pay the participation fee of Rs 1 crore in instalments till June 2026, and not immediately if they are not able to do that.

The AIFF is expected to issue new tender (Request for Proposal) for both the short term (2025-26 season) and long term (for 20 years starting 2026-27), likely by January 15. The AIFF plans to have the onboarding of the commercial partner of the 2025-26 ISL season by January 31.

AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey on Tuesday explained the financial model of the truncated ISL.

"A Rs 25 crore central pool has been made for only the conduct of the ISL. 10 percent of this fund will come from AIFF, 30 percent was to come from a commercial partner but since we don't have one right now, the AIFF will pitch in with that contribution," Chaubey had said.

"In all, the AIFF will give Rs 14 crore for ISL and about Rs 3.2 crore for I-League till we find a commercial partner. The rest of the fund will come through the legacy participating clubs. Hopefully we will find a commercial partner soon," he added.

"In case we face any difficulty, the government will also step in to assist us," he stated.

Chaubey said a Governing Council Board will be formed to manage the Leagues eventually and it will be "empowered to take all commercial decisions." The ISL 2025-26 has been in a limbo after the AIFF's commercial partner FSDL, owned by the Reliance Group, put it on hold in July due to uncertainty over the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the two parties.

The MRA ended on December 8, 2025 as negotiations fell through.

Later, a tender was floated for the selection of a commercial rights partner under the supervision of a Supreme Court-appointed committee, but much to AIFF's embarrassment, there were no takers for it. PTI PDS AM PDS AM AM