ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION (AIFF) confirmed on Saturday that it will organise the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025–26 season, with the tournament schedule set to be announced this week.
The decision followed a meeting of the AIFF Emergency Committee, which reviewed and accepted a report submitted by the AIFF-ISL Coordination Committee. The report recommended that the league be conducted directly by Indian football’s governing body to ensure the season begins as planned. In a proposal circulated to clubs, the AIFF has suggested 15 February as the start date for the 2025–26 campaign.
Among other recommendations, the committee proposed a participation fee of Rs 1 crore per club. It added that any club unwilling to take part should face disqualification or relegation to the second division. The report also stated that the AIFF should cover refereeing and broadcast production costs, while clubs would be responsible for organising home matches, as in previous seasons.
The federation also confirmed it will issue a fresh Request for Proposal (RFP) on 15 January to appoint a new commercial partner for the league, with the aim of finalising the appointment by 31 January.
Backlash from key stakeholders
The developments have sparked a strong response from within the football community. On Friday, several prominent players, including Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan, released a video titled ‘Save Indian Football’, calling on FIFA and FIFPRO to intervene. In the video, they claimed that “the Indian football government can no longer fulfil its responsibilities”.
Bollywood actor and NorthEast United FC co-owner John Abraham also weighed in, sharing Sandhu’s video on social media. “Shame on us… this is what we have come to,” he wrote.
