Latest news with #ISL
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Bhaichung Bhutia points out AIFF's lack of clarity in MRA Negotiations
Kolkata: Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia spoke regarding the future of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025 after the future of the league remains in the air due to the Master Rights Agreement, which expires in December. On Thursday, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) released its 2025-26 competition calendar with no mention of the country's premier football league. This omission has raised eyebrows across the Indian football ecosystem, with clubs, players, and fans left speculating about what comes next. An AIFF source, speaking to IANS, confirmed that the ISL has not been included in the federation's calendar because its organisers, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), have yet to provide a schedule. The uncertainty stems from the fact that the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between AIFF and FSDL — the Reliance-Star joint venture that operates the ISL — is set to expire in December 2025. As of now, the agreement has not been renewed, and no concrete resolution has emerged from the discussions initiated earlier this year. 'There were some reports that stated that I had stopped the deal (Between AIFF and FSDL), I did not know I was that powerful. During the meeting, I had asked the Federation what their proposed deal was with FSDL. They did not have an answer; basically, they ate snacks, listened to their offer, and came back. They did not make any offer of their own. 'Now the court has ordered that the deal will only be made after the Supreme Court case regarding the AIFF constitution. From the Federation, FSDL, to the ISL and I-League clubs, all focus should be on Indian football,' said Bhaichung at a press conference. In April, the AIFF Executive Committee established an eight-member task force to examine the future of the MRA. Adding to the complications is the pending Supreme Court verdict on the revised AIFF Constitution, which has created further administrative gridlock. 'If you are saying that the ISL not taking place is a disaster, my question is whether the past one-and-a-half years have not been a disaster? If we have a new professional coming in (as president) and he could get a good deal and hopefully a win-win situation for Indian football. If it takes some time, that won't be good, but it's better than rushing into such stuff,' he added. Bhaichung also pointed out a deal, which he believes to have 'taken place under the table', which led to India withdrawing their bid to host the AFC Asian Cup in 2027. The former India skipper asked for this particular meeting to be investigated. 'There has been so much negative spotlight on the AIFF under Kalyan Chaubey, which has damaged the reputation. We have put in a bid for the 2031 Asian Cup. We earlier wanted to host the 2027 Asian Cup, but he went to Saudi Arabia, and god knows what under-the-table deal he has made, but Saudi Arabia will now host the 2027 edition, whereas he comes back to announce that Saudi Arabia will host the Santosh Trophy. That deal needs to be investigated,' Bhaichung pointed out.
Hindustan Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
ISL organisers inform clubs that 2025-26 edition will not start after AIFF calendar snub, no clarity on MRA: Report
Indian football has never been short of controversies, and another scandal has joined the bandwagon! According to reports, the Indian Super League (ISL) organisers have informed clubs that there is uncertainity over the upcoming 2025-26 season, and it won't kick-off until there is clarity over the status of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) signed with the AIFF. The ISL, which is also the country's top-tier football league, is run by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). FSDL is also the commercial partner of AIFF, and they signed a 15-year MRA in 2010. According to the MRA, FSDL pays the AIFF ₹50 crore annually, and in turn get the rights to broadcast, manage and commercialise Indian football, which also includes the national team. According to a PTI report, an anonymous source privy to the development said, 'FSDL has told the ISL club owners verbally that the next edition will not start until there is clarity on the MRA'. 'MRA ends in December and there is no clarity whether it will be renewed or a new agreement will be signed.' The AIFF, on the other hand, have claimed innocence. AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan said, 'We have not got any communication from the FSDL regarding ISL.' The previous two ISL seasons begin in September. The PTI report also mentions that FSDL are planning to make a new holding company that operates the ISL, with participating clubs (60 percent), FSDL (26 percent) and AIFF (14 percent) as shareholders. The anonymous source informed PTI, 'May be, there might be other arrangements for other properties like I-League, national teams etc. But it is very sketchy as of now regarding what the FSDL and AIFF want.' Also the delay is due to the Supreme Court directing the AIFF not to take any major decision until the final decision on a pending constitution case. On April 30, the country's top court reserved its verdict. Meanwhile, a former official said, 'If the SC directs new election of the AIFF, then the MRA will have to be negotiated by the new office bearers and that will take time.' 'Still, there may be enough time for the 2025-26 to happen, may be by squeezing the schedule or stretching the end date. That is the best case scenario.' Also the 2025-26 calendar released last month did not have any mention of ISL. Regarding, the source told PTI, 'There was nothing to be interpreted from the calendar. Firstly, it was issued last month and secondly, it was meant for events which are conducted directly by the AIFF.' 'ISL is not directly conducted by the AIFF and so the ISL dates were not there in the calendar. Moreover, the AIFF always consults the FSDL before announcing ISL dates. So, there is nothing in the calendar regarding the ISL.'
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
HT Kick Off: What numbers do not reveal
Apart from offering a crash course on the role and duty of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) president, last Friday's media conference went big on numbers to highlight what has changed since September 2022 and what has not. Since data is the new oil, this deserves praise. It pointed out how India's goals scored per match has gone down while goals conceded has remained nearly the same even though there have been three head coaches between 2015 and now. AIFF's slick presentation detailed the strikers chosen by Stephen Constantine, Igor Stimac and Manolo Marquez to embellish the point that all three had picked the best available. Accepting that there are not enough Indian strikers, president Kalyan Chaubey spoke about the need for discussions to a problem that predates Indian Super League (ISL). (In 20 seasons of I-League, including when it was India's top tier competition, there have been only two editions where an Indian was among the top scorers.) The AIFF president's suggestion to reduce the number of foreigners though could hit Indian clubs at a time the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has lifted restrictions on imported players in continental competitions. It also comes over two years after Stimac had spoken of the need to restrict the position of strikers and attacking midfielders to Indians only. But, like with the data on the men's team, numbers do not always tell the tale. For instance, highlighting organising 1697 matches in a single season means little if the men's national under-23 team barely plays – proof of what can be achieved if they played more came in Tajikistan needing two stoppage-time goals to win against a 10-man India – the top tier of the women's league has only 14 matches, the under-17 I-League can be won by playing 15-16 matches, the men's game at the elite level stretches to around 30 matches and the off-season is as long as the season. In nearly three decades of national leagues, AIFF has not been able to grow the season. For comparison consider this: Hong Kong's league ran from August 30, 2024 to May 25, 2025. Also, how does a 232% increase in grassroots leagues in two seasons from 2019-20 compensate for the lack of an AIFF pathway between the under-17 and the men's leagues? The 631% increase in the number of coaching courses from 2017-20 to 2022-25 is commendable because, as AIFF says in its presentation, 'If a federation can develop good coaches, the good coaches can create excellent players.' Including futsal and beach soccer, India has 16,596 coaches with some kind of AFC badge, AIFF has said but did not mention how many of them have found gainful employment. While the performance of the young girls and boys at AIFF's training programmes need to be applauded – uner-15 boys have defeated a number of ISL under-17 teams and the Indian Arrows Women Juniors have beaten clubs with older players in IWL2 – it would have been nice if an update was provided on the new elite youth league AIFF said it would start with funds saved from the successful boys' Arrows project that was scrapped by this regime in September 2022. Taking nothing away from the performance of the boys and girls, is it also not a reflection of how seriously clubs take youth development because the season is so short? Information that ₹2333 crore being invested by state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland was a welcome development in a country desperately in need for investment in infrastructure. Given that Inter Kashi still cannot find a venue in Uttar Pradesh, who, as per AIFF, are committed to investing ₹1005 crore, they can call home, it would have been nice if timelines of the projects were provided. Also welcome was AIFF's ₹14.70 crore surplus at a time when the agreement with commercial partners is months from ending. Here too, context is important and it would have been nice if AIFF had said how much it has saved on salaries by not appointing long-term coaches for most of its national teams. AIFF being committed to get naturalised players too is a sign that it is in step with time. Chaubey spoke of 33 players with whom AIFF was in touch. Good news, but wouldn't it have been great if details about their clubs and playing positions been provided along with the explanation of how they got on the shortlist?
India Today
a day ago
- Business
- India Today
ISL organisers tell clubs 2025-26 season won't start with out MRA status clarity
Indian Super League (ISL) organisers have told the clubs that the 2025-26 edition will not kick off until there is clarity over the status of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) signed with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), putting the country's top-tier competition in a limbo. Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which runs the ISL, is the commercial partner of the AIFF, with whom the national federation signed a 15-year MRA in the MRA, FSDL pays the AIFF Rs 50 crore annually. FSDL, in turn, gets the rights to broadcast, manage and commercialise Indian football, including the national Read: Jose Mourinho vs Turkish FA: Fenerbahce demand investigation after leaked texts"FSDL has told the ISL club owners verbally that the next edition will not start until there is clarity on the MRA," a source privy to the development told PTI on conditions of anonymity."MRA ends in December and there is no clarity whether it will be renewed or a new agreement will be signed."The AIFF, however, said that FSDL has not told anything about the fate of the ISL to the national federation."We have not got any communication from the FSDL regarding ISL," AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan said when asked if the league will start on the last two seasons, the ISL began in September. According to another source, FSDL is learnt to favour creating a new holding company that operates the ISL, with participating clubs (60%), FSDL (26%) and AIFF (14%) as shareholders."Maybe, there might be other arrangements for other properties like I-League, national teams etc. But it is very sketchy as of now regarding what the FSDL and AIFF want," the source matter has also become complex after the Supreme Court directive to the AIFF not to take any major decision until the final decision on a pending case on the constitution of the national federation is given. On April 30, the SC had reserved its April, the AIFF had formed an eight-member task force to look into MRA negotiations with the FSDL. Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia, who is also AIFF executive committee member, had then told the brass to wait till the Supreme Court verdict, which is likely to come in July."If the SC directs new election of the AIFF, then the MRA will have to be negotiated by the new office bearers and that will take time," a former official said."Still, there may be enough time for the 2025-26 to happen, maybe by squeezing the schedule or stretching the end date. That is the best case scenario."2025-26 calendar issued last month did not mention ISL The AIFF last month issued the competition calendar for 2025-26 season and there was no mention of the ISL in it. But, a source said the calendar was for events which come directly under the AIFF and ISL schedule is put up only after consulting the FSDL."There was nothing to be interpreted from the calendar. Firstly, it was issued last month and secondly, it was meant for events which are conducted directly by the AIFF," the source said."ISL is not directly conducted by the AIFF and so the ISL dates were not there in the calendar. Moreover, the AIFF always consults the FSDL before announcing ISL dates. So, there is nothing in the calendar regarding the ISL."Must Watch
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
No ISL in Indian football's 2025-26 calendar — AIFF excludes Indian Super League from next season's schedule
The All Indian Football Federation's (AIFF's) competitions calendar 2025-26 had a major change this season, with no mention of the Indian Super League (ISL), the premier division of men's football in the country. The ISL, run by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), started as a franchise league in 2014 and became India's top-flight in 2019. However, the future of the league remains uncertain at the momentwith its Master Rights Agreement (MRA) — it ends in December this year — yet to be renewed. In April, the Executive Committee of the AIFF formed an eight-member task force to discuss the future of the MRA with FSDL, but there has been no final decision on the issue, keeping the clubs in the dark, too, regarding the upcoming season. It has jeopardised transfer plans for multiple clubs as they have not been able to commit to a date or window for the league. In the 2025-26 season, the men's (senior) season would begin with the Durand Cup, while the Super Cup will be played after that, instead of taking place after the ISL as the final tournament of the season. The move largely comes as a consequence of the poor turnout of fans at the tournament and the clubs sending reserve or youth teams to the Cup, treating it as a second-tier competition. AIFF COMPETITIONS CALENDAR 2025-26 Event Start Date End Date Junior Boys Tier 1 and Tier 2 10-07-2025 31-07-2025 Junior Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 10-07-2025 31-07-2025 Durand Cup 15-07-2025 23-08-2025 Super Cup/Federation Cup 01-09-2025 20-09-2025 Sub-Junior Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 10-08-2025 31-08-2025 Senior Women's Group Stage 01-09-2025 20-09-2025 AIFF Elite Youth League (U14/U16/U18) 01-09-2025 31-05-2026 Senior Women's Final Round 01-10-2025 15-10-2025 I-League 3 01-10-2025 30-11-2025 I-League 19-10-2025 30-04-2026 Indian Women's League 25-10-2025 30-04-2026 Santosh Trophy Group Stage 05-12-2025 20-12-2025 Santosh Trophy Final Round 01-01-2026 20-01-2026 Indian Women's League 2 25-01-2026 30-04-2026 Beach Soccer Championship 01-02-2026 15-02-2026 Futsal Club Championship 01-05-2026 20-05-2026 Swami Vivekananda U-20 Championship 01-04-2026 31-05-2026
