Current situation risks rendering ongoing operations untenable: ISL clubs to AIFF

New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) Twelve Indian Super League (ISL) clubs on Thursday urged the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to resolve the crisis in the domestic game without any further delay, saying that the current situation risks rendering their "ongoing operations untenable".

The Marketing Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and its commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) -- which organises ISL -- ends on December 8, and after that the top-tier league will be left without a commercial framework or operational certainty going forward.

"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." The clubs said they had filed an 'Interim Application' before the SC, "seeking the removal of commercial impediments inadvertently incorporated into the AIFF Constitution, which have rendered the tender process unworkable." "These impediments arise from inter alia Articles 1.21, 1.54, and 63 of the Constitution." The clubs even went to the extent of saying that under the new AIFF Constitution, the national federation "possesses the authority to amend its own statutes including those impeding commercial operation of the league-without requiring judicial directions." "Should the Court process take time, we urge that the AIFF consider exercising this power with utmost urgency, in consultation with the Government where necessary, so that the sport is not imperilled by procedural delay." The AIFF is holding its Annual General Body Meeting on December 20.

A tender floated by the AIFF to select a new commercial partner of the ISL did not find any taker. The clubs said in case a revised tender could not find a suitable commercial partner, the AIFF should "consider a framework under which the ISL clubs may collectively form a consortium to own/operate the league (as majority owners), alongside the Federation and aligned commercial/broadcast/private investors." "Such an approach is consistent with global best practices and reflective of the long-term commitment of the Clubs to Indian football," the letter said.

In the event of issuing a fresh tender, the clubs want the AIFF to do that "after the constitutional impediments are removed or clarified, so that the tender has a legally tenable and commercially viable foundation." "It must be conducted within a strict and non-extendable timeline, such that the process is completed well before the end of this month. Only a hard time-bound tender window of this nature provides any realistic opportunity to stabilise the commercial structure of the league and salvage the current season.

"Beyond the re-tender itself, we respectfully submit that a long-term solution must be formulated without delay. A temporary or stop-gap arrangement ... momentary relief but does not address the underlying structural issues." PTI PDS PDS AH AH