When the news first broke that the pre-season training was delayed by a fortnight, Sunil Chhetri ‘smiled’. It meant he got more time ‘to get in shape’ after a lengthy vacation. “That ‘fortnight’ has now changed to ‘indefinitely’ and that smile’s been wiped out,” the Bengaluru FC talisman shared. And now, he is ‘very concerned’ about the ‘current situation in Indian football’. The ‘situation’ Chhetri referred to in his lengthy social media post was about the Indian Super League (ISL).
The future top flight of the men’s game – and the centrepiece of the Indian football season – is up in the air after the upcoming season was put ‘on hold’ due to a dispute over an agreement between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Football Sport Development Limited, the joint venture that runs the ISL.
Chhetri admitted that ‘everybody is scared’. “I’ve received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs – not just from my club, but from other clubs as well. Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, scared about the uncertainty we are faced with,” he wrote.
When my phone went off a few weeks ago informing us of a delay in pre-season by a fortnight, I must admit it made me smile. And that’s because I was on vacation, hadn’t moved as much as I would have liked to, and hadn’t been eating as clean as I usually do. I had more time than I… pic.twitter.com/pEGyr8Sp5O
— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) July 16, 2025
Indeed, at a time when clubs would have been finalising their player signings and coach appointments and the fans would wait in anticipation for the league schedule, the common phrases whistling about in the pre-season debates are courtroom jargon like “verdict” and “order”. All eyes are on the Supreme Court’s final order on the AIFF’s constitution, which is expected on Friday, July 18. The governing body has the ongoing case as one of the reasons why an agreement with the FSDL is still pending.
At the same time, the clubs are aware that the apex court’s verdict is not a magic pill that will solve all issues. “But at least that gets the ball rolling,” FC Goa CEO, Ravi Puskur, told The Indian Express. “Neither the AIFF nor the FSDL can act, and so the clubs are left in a limbo. The Supreme Court removing that block obviously allows the two parties to talk.”
Goa’s Asian sojourn
Goa are one of two sides slated to compete in continental competitions this season, the other being Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who have qualified for the group stage proper of the AFC Champions League 2 (ACL 2) as ISL champions. Goa, on the other hand, have qualified for the playoff match as winners of the Super Cup. They are set to face Oman’s Al-Seeb at home on August 13. The group stage begins September 16.
“While we are trying to manage our expenses as best as we can, we also want to put our best foot forward in the tournament,” said Puskur. He said that the club commences training at the end of this week and don’t want to distract players or coaching staff from football matters. “We keep working with them until someone tells us otherwise, that the league is not to go ahead this year. For, then we have another conversation that we need to have with them (the coaching staff and the players) given that they have a commitment and there is a guaranteed fixture we have to play on the 13th of August,” Puskur said.
Bagan, on the other hand, are planning to start their pre-season training around the first week of August for the ACL 2. With regards to determining any schedule for the league itself, a source within the club told this paper that they are waiting for the Supreme Court verdict.
Story continues below this ad
Preparing for the Durand Cup
Bagan are also among the six ISL clubs that have not pulled out of the Durand Cup, slated to start on July 23 with fellow Kolkata giants East Bengal facing South United in the season opener. However, they are fielding their junior side for the initial stages, with some seniors expected to join for the knockouts.
Welcoming our new boys with the mandatory tunnel…#StrongerAsOne #8States1United pic.twitter.com/hy4EjOb0K3
— NorthEast United FC (@NEUtdFC) July 13, 2025
NorthEast United, the defending champions of the Durand Cup, have already started their pre-season training. “Our season is on,” CEO Mandar Tamhane told this paper, stating that they have announced their pre-season schedule and are, for now, trying to maintain as much normalcy as possible. “What is clear in front of me is that I have a Durand Cup, which is part of the AIFF calendar, and I have to prepare myself for that. What is going to happen, nobody can say anything about it till the time we have certain things which are dependent on the ruling of the honourable Supreme Court. I prefer to prepare for things that are in front of me rather than worry about how to prepare for something you don’t know about,” he said.
Chennaiyin FC have pulled out of the competition, one of seven ISL clubs to have done so, along with Bengaluru FC, Kerala Blasters, Odisha FC, Mohammedan Sporting, Hyderabad FC and Mumbai City FC. Sources within the club cite the uncertainty around ISL as a direct reason for the decision.
Chennaiyin have decided to start their pre-season training approximately six to eight weeks before the new ISL season begins, once the dates are announced. The club has also paused any negotiations with potential foreign signings, as have Jamshedpur FC, Odisha FC, and the embattled Hyderabad FC, which are also grappling with a desire to relocate to Delhi.
There’s an air of anxiety as each day passes due to the uncertainty. But Chhetri appealed to ‘everyone involved with Indian football’ to ‘stay calm. “We’ll ride this storm together,” he reassured.
