ISL Imbroglio: AIFF calls for meeting between legal counsels of federation and clubs

New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday asked the legal counsels of the game's apex body and the ISL clubs to "hold discussions" on the teams' concerns about the uncertainty over the upcoming season of the top-tier league.

Last week, 11 Indian Super League clubs had urged the AIFF to urgently bring the "current situation" of Indian football, arising out of the uncertainty over ISL's future, to the attention of the Supreme Court before which a case relating to the constitution of the national federation is pending.

The ISL clubs, in a letter, said that they will have no option but to seek judicial recourse independently if the AIFF does not act on their request.

The national federation has now responded.

"The AIFF, on the evening of Friday, August 8, 2025, received a letter from 11 Indian Super League clubs, collectively requesting that the Supreme Court be apprised of the current uncertainty surrounding the ISL.

"On August 13, the AIFF responded and requested that the legal counsels of the clubs and the federation meet to hold discussions on the matter and decide on further action," the AIFF tweeted.

The clubs requested the AIFF to approach the top court a day after the national federation proposed the Super Cup in September to ensure sufficient competitive matches for the clubs after ISL organisers FSDL put a "pause" on the league due to uncertainty over the renewal of Master Rights Agreement (MRA) it signed with them in 2010.

Following the July 11 decision of ISL organisers FSDL to put the 2025-26 season "on hold" due to the uncertainty surrounding the renewal of the MRA, three clubs have either paused first-team operations or suspended salaries of first-team players and staff. PTI AH AH APA APA