THE ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION’S multiple acts of commission and omission is confronting a reckoning in real team. Effective Sunday, May 31, the contracts of almost 150 Indian Super League footballers have expired, including those who represent India on the international stage.
This comes even as the standoff between the AIFF and ISL clubs continues over the status of next season’s competition.
Per PTI, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, which finished as runners-up in the curtailed season that concluded 11 days ago, are expected to seek clarity from the AIFF regarding the structure of the next ISL campaign, including whether it will return to a full-fledged format or continue as a shortened competition similar to the 2025-26 season.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant will take a call on the budget for the new season and sign footballers accordingly. “We will ask the AIFF how they will conduct ISL and make our budget accordingly,” a club source told PTI.
A former club official told the newswire that the footballers will be the worst sufferers, though the clubs will also be affected financially.
“It is a grim situation in the ISL and Indian football as a whole. The players will be the worst sufferers. Since they are free agents, their negotiating power is less and clubs are likely to quote a lower fee for them when (and if) they sign contracts,” the official said.
“In normal circumstances, players would have bargaining power but may not be in this current situation. The players are at a disadvantage and there is a chance of their exploitation,” the official added.
The 2025-26 season was both delayed and shortened, with each of the 14 teams competing in a single round-robin format rather than the traditional home-and-away schedule.
The changes came after the Master Rights Agreement between the AIFF and its former commercial partner – Reliance-controlled Football Sports Development Limited – expired last December.
