ISL clubs warn AIFF of reduced commitment in strongly-worded joint statement
Several ISL clubs have warned the AIFF they may scale back their commitment beyond the current season. The statement sharpens pressure ahead of the Special General Body Meeting on the league's commercial future.
Several Indian Super League clubs issued a strongly-worded joint statement on Friday warning the AIFF that they may reduce their commitment towards the league if uncertainty surrounding Indian football continues. The statement arrives just ahead of the AIFF’s crucial Special General Body Meeting, where the future commercial structure of the ISL is expected to dominate discussions.
Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City FC, Bengaluru FC, Inter Kashi and Sporting Club Delhi were among the clubs that had shared the statement on their official social media handles at the time of writing.
“With deep concern and disappointment, the clubs of the Indian Super League wish to state that, given the continued uncertainty surrounding professional football in India, we are now compelled to review the extent of our commitment to the league beyond the current season,” the clubs said in their joint statement.
“Our clubs have consistently invested in Indian football, often in difficult and uncertain circumstances, and remain deeply committed to its future. However, the continued absence of structural clarity, commercial clarity and long-term visibility has made it increasingly difficult to justify the financial and operational commitments required to compete sustainably,” the statement added.
The clubs also stressed that Indian football’s future must be built around a financially sustainable league structure and pushed for their proposed alternative commercial model to be considered seriously by the federation.
“At the heart of Indian football’s future must be a financially sustainable league. The clubs have proposed an alternative model which we believe is credible, constructive and worthy of being evaluated on merit, alongside any other proposal before the AIFF.”
“We urge the AIFF to acknowledge the realities faced by those funding and operating the league, and work collaboratively towards a framework that is sustainable, inclusive and built with all stakeholders in mind,” the statement further read.
ISL COMMERCIAL BATTLE CONTINUES TO GROW
The statement comes at a critical time for Indian football with the AIFF set to hold a Special General Body Meeting on Saturday, May 23.
One of the biggest topics during the meeting is expected to be the future commercial structure of the ISL following the expiry of the Master Rights Agreement between AIFF and FSDL earlier this season.
The deadlock had pushed Indian football into months of uncertainty and forced the 2025-26 ISL season into a heavily shortened 13-match format after the league only began in February.
Several clubs reportedly faced operational and financial problems during the prolonged delay, with uncertainty surrounding player salaries, renewals and long-term planning.
The latest disagreement now revolves around the league’s next commercial structure.
Genius Sports had reportedly emerged as the highest bidder earlier this year with a proposed Rs 2129 crore agreement for the next 15+5 years. However, ISL clubs are believed to be opposing the current framework attached to the bid.
Instead, clubs have proposed a model where Genius Sports would function only as a data and technology partner while the clubs themselves would retain 90 percent of the league’s economic interests.
AIFF UNDER GROWING PRESSURE
The growing tension between the federation and clubs comes despite AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey recently assuring that the ISL would return in a “full-fledged” format next season.
Speaking after East Bengal’s dramatic ISL title triumph on May 21, Chaubey insisted Indian football was moving forward despite the administrative chaos and controversies surrounding the season.
However, uncertainty around the league’s future still remains widespread.
Even East Bengal head coach Oscar Bruzon had admitted earlier that he may reconsider his future at the club if clarity regarding the ISL’s future structure does not emerge soon.
The AIFF is also facing separate controversy surrounding the legality of Saturday’s SGM itself after executive committee member Valanka Alemao objected to the meeting, arguing that the federation had not properly constituted the General Body structure required under the Supreme Court-approved AIFF constitution.
Despite the uncertainty, the meeting is expected to proceed at a time when Indian football continues to face growing questions over governance, commercial sustainability and the long-term future of the country’s top domestic league.