A major crisis is being faced by Indian football. The 2025-26 season of Indian Super League (ISL) has been delayed for over 3 months. In these 3 months, no new bidders are coming forward. The clubs, players and staff are left with nothing but uncertainty. The I-League and I-League 2 are also on hold.
A CEO of an ISL club revealed that due to delays even foreign coaches are frustrated, as clubs cannot offer opportunities to resume work. He said “Indian football has failed many of its stakeholders,”.
There are 13 ISL clubs which annually invest around Rs. 650 crore are under severe financial strain. Halted revenue streams, rising costs and stalled seasons threaten club operations. Clubs’ academies will also be affected which train young people. Due to this the next generation will be discouraged to pursue football.
Professional players across lower leagues and ISL are sitting idle. They will be having long term career impacts likely. Master Rights Agreement has expired resulting in cutting off key revenue, which had made continued operations almost impossible, according to Mohun Bagan Super Giant director Vinay Chopra.
The sports ministry and the Supreme Court have been involved to solve the crisis. However, the progress has been slow. Friction between clubs and AIFF persists. This leaves Indian football in a precarious position.
If the situation continues clubs will be shutting down. This a major setback for India.
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