Eleven out of 13 Indian Super League clubs have urged the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to bring the “current situation” around the stricken league to the attention of the of the Supreme Court. The clubs have said that if the federation fails to do so, they will have “no option but to seek judicial recourse independently”. The letter has been sent to the federation just a day after it met representatives of 13 ISL clubs and of the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) in New Delhi.
The upcoming season of the ISL is currently suspended due to the non-renewal of the Master Rights Agreement between the AIFF and the FSDL, which is set to expire in December 2025. Negotiations have been stalled due to an oral directive from the Supreme Court that no major decision be taken by the federation until its final orders have been passed on a case pertaining to the AIFF’s constitution. “Based on legal advice, the ISL clubs are preparing to independently approach the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India for relief,” said the clubs in the letter sent on Friday. Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal are the only clubs whose signatures are missing in the letter.
“However, given that the clubs are not formal parties to the current proceedings, this may not be the most efficient or effective route to resolve the situation. Accordingly, it is in the best interest of all concerned that the AIFF, as the main party and regulator, takes immediate initiative in this regard,” the letter continues.
The clubs further said that they were “somewhat surprised” that the matter has not already been brought to the court’s attention, “given its gravity and implications for the sport”.
“We respectfully urge the AIFF, in its capacity as the statutory regulator of football in India and the principal party to the proceedings, to urgently bring the current situation to the attention of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” the 11 ISL clubs said in a joint letter addressed to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey.
“This may be done by mentioning the matter for urgent listing and judgment and apprising the Hon’ble Court of the current situation to ensure that the ISL and associated competitions may proceed.”
A domino effect of the uncertainty is already beginning to take shape. Chennaiyin FC and Odisha FC have suspended first team operations while Bengaluru FC have suspended salaries for those part of the first team setup – the coaching staff and the players, among whom is India’s record goalscorer Sunil Chhetri.
Story continues below this ad
“This legal uncertainty and administrative vacuum are now threatening to cause irreversible damage to the Indian football ecosystem. Clubs are unable to plan or invest, commercial contracts are on hold, and the livelihoods of thousands of players, staff, support personnel, and stakeholders are at immediate risk.”
The clubs have said that they are willing to support the federation legally. “We would be happy to support the AIFF legally and work jointly towards this, in a manner that protects the interests of Indian football and all its constituents. it is in the best interest of all concerned that the AIFF, as the main party and regulator, takes immediate initiative in this regard.”
“Should the AIFF choose not to act, we reiterate that the ISL clubs will have no option but to seek judicial recourse independently, to protect the integrity of the League and the interests of the sport,” the letter said.
ISL, the country’s top-tier league, normally runs from September to April, and the current MRA between Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which organises the event, and the AIFF is scheduled to expire on December 8, 2025, by which the ISL would have entered its third month. On July 11, ISL organisers FSDL announced that it has put the 2025-26 season “on hold”.
Story continues below this ad
The AIFF in its meeting with representatives of ISL clubs and the FSDL proposed that the Super Cup, a tournament held at the end of the season, be moved forward and conducted after the Durand Cup in the first week of September – all in all confirming that any plans to host the ISL at its original timeline had failed.
The clubs, however, seemed to be on the fence at best about the idea. FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur, one of three representatives from the clubs that stayed back for interacting with the media, said that they need time to “sit down and digest everything.”
“You will have to give us a little bit of time because we can’t just press a button and then things fall in place. It takes a lot of coordination, a lot of logistical work that needs to be done. So once we have some clarity on that, like the honourable president mentioned, we will come back collectively and discuss it and then we can give you some more clarity on how that will work for us. But yes, ultimately we also want the game to continue. So, make of it what you will,” he said.
Odisha FC owner Rohan Sharma, meanwhile, was far more direct on X. “Yup, just empty words,” he said in his post. “Super Cup=Durand Cup… Why would clubs again do another tourney with no clarity for the league,” he said.
