ISL season put on hold: AIFF's detailed statement

NEW DELHI: A time aft the Indian Super League (ISL) announced it was putting the 2025–26 play connected clasp owed to uncertainty implicit the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), the All India Football Federation (AIFF) connected Saturday acknowledged the ISL’s value successful the country’s shot ecosystem but stressed that it indispensable besides abide by the instrumentality of the land.The existing MRA betwixt the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which runs the ISL, is acceptable to expire connected December 8 this year—by which clip the league would beryllium good into its 3rd month.

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On Friday, FSDL stated that without a confirmed contractual model beyond December, it was incapable to "effectively plan, organise, oregon commercialise the 2025-26 ISL season" and had decided to enactment the play connected hold.

In response, the AIFF issued a connection saying it would marque each effort to guarantee the league’s continuity, successful enactment with ineligible obligations."The AIFF is conscious of the value of the ISL not lone to the shot operation successful the country, but besides to each the clubs, players, enactment staff, officials and fans, and besides recognises the challenges and difficulties posed owed to its disruption. At the aforesaid time, AIFF respects the instrumentality of the onshore and the absorption of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India," the federation said successful a statement.

Acting connected a directive from the Supreme Court, the AIFF has been instructed not to finalise immoderate caller presumption of the MRA with FSDL until the Court delivers its verdict successful the lawsuit related to the AIFF’s draught constitution.The AIFF clarified that discussions with FSDL had begun successful a timely mode and proposals had been exchanged, but further negotiations were paused pursuing the Court’s order."As per the Master Rights Agreement, the All India Football Federation had, successful a timely manner, archetypal initiated the process of requesting negotiations connected the presumption of a imaginable renewal with FSDL connected November 21, 2024.

Thereafter, elder representatives of the AIFF and FSDL convened meetings connected February 5, 2025, successful New Delhi and subsequently connected March 5, 2025, successful Mumbai, to sermon the presumption of imaginable renewal of the Master Rights Agreement."Following these deliberations, a connection was submitted by FSDL connected March 5, 2025, to which, AIFF responded with a counter-proposal connected April 21, 2025. Soon after, the AIFF was advised by its ineligible counsel that during a proceeding connected April 26, 2025, the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India made an reflection that the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement should not beryllium done until its order.""Consequently, based connected ineligible advice, discussions betwixt the AIFF and FSDL, renewal discussions person been successful abeyance pending further directions from the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India."Despite the existent impasse, the AIFF assured each stakeholders that their interests would beryllium safeguarded and Indian shot would stay unaffected."The AIFF and its stakeholders volition instrumentality each imaginable steps, and bash each things wrong their power, to guarantee continuity of the ISL successful the champion interests of Indian football.

We petition the knowing of each stakeholders successful the interim," the connection added.FSDL, AIFF’s commercialized partner, had signed a 15-year MRA successful 2010. Under this agreement, FSDL pays the AIFF Rs 50 crore annually successful speech for broadcasting, managing, and commercialising Indian football, including the nationalist team.This backing has been captious to AIFF’s operational and developmental efforts.FSDL had earlier informed ISL nine owners verbally that the adjacent play would not statesman until the MRA concern was resolved.According to erstwhile PTI reports, FSDL is besides considering the enactment of a caller holding institution to negociate the ISL, with ownership divided among participating clubs (60 per cent), FSDL (26 per cent), and AIFF (14 per cent).