Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has stepped in to save the Indian Super League (ISL), ordering the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the clubs to immediately set up a joint task force. The goal is to end their long-running financial argument and create a solid plan for the next two seasons.
The meeting in New Delhi lasted a couple of hours and was described as positive, with everyone looking for answers rather than playing the blame game. Mandaviya reminded everyone that the ISL is a massive business that supports the livelihoods of many players and staff, urging them to come back to him quickly with a fair business model.
The minister’s intervention is highly crucial for the league’s survival. The ISL fell into a major financial crisis late last year when its long-term commercial partner, FSDL, suddenly backed out. While the ministry managed to help push through a shortened 2025-26 season—where East Bengal FC beat rivals Mohun Bagan Super Giant to lift their first-ever trophy—the league still lacks a permanent financial setup.
WHAT IS ISL’S CLUB-LED MODEL?
Right now, the AIFF and the 14 ISL clubs are locked in a feud over who should run the league’s business side. The clubs want to manage things themselves and have proposed a two-year “club-led” pilot model for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons to keep the tournament stable.
Under this plan, the clubs want to take over the commercial rights of the ISL and pay a set fee directly to the national federation:
- The payment: The clubs are offering to pay a total of ?15 crore per year to the AIFF.
- What it covers: This money is meant to pay for the federation’s official duties, like refereeing, anti-doping tests, and legal costs.
- The comparison: This ?15 crore offer is actually higher than the ?12.4 crore the AIFF would get in the first year from a massive deal proposed by London-based Genius Sports.
The clubs are also strongly rejecting an AIFF proposal to charge them an extra entry fee, arguing they are already spending enough to keep their teams running.
WHAT NEXT FOR THE ISL?
The newly formed task force needs to work fast to lock in a deal before the next season kicks off. According to the AIFF’s early calendar, the upcoming 2026-27 ISL season will return to a full seven-month schedule, running from 1 September to 11 April.
This will be a big step up from the emergency format used last season, where teams only played 13 matches each in a single-leg tournament. With the Sports Minister now pushing hard for a joint solution, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey and the 14 club owners must compromise quickly to ensure Indian football can move ahead smoothly.
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