Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri has opened up about the uncertainty that everyone in Indian football is facing with the Indian Super League’s 2025/26 season being put on hold amid uncertainty over the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between event organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The FSDL had sent a letter to all the ISL clubs informing them of the development on Friday.
“The current situation that Indian football finds itself in, is very concerning. 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,” Chhetri wrote in a long post on his X handle.
As The Indian Express had reported, the FSDL had written to each of the ISL clubs that it was unable to ‘effectively plan, organise, or commercialise’ the 2025-26 ISL season. FSDL had said that while discussions between the two parties over renewal of the MRA were initiated several months ago, they ‘remain inconclusive at this time’.
Chhetri wrote in his post how he had received multiple texts from concerned stakeholders about the future of the league.
“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 had bargained to get in shape. That ‘fortnight’ has now changed to ‘indefinitely’ and that smile’s been wiped out. It began with worrying about how I am on borrowed time with what I have left in the tank. But speaking with players from across clubs, I’ve realised that my selfish problem isn’t as important.
“I know that the think tank and all those involved in running the sport are working to get the football season up and running, and I’m hopeful that there is a solid fix sooner rather than later. I may not have all the answers, but my message to all those involved with Indian football – and more importantly the ones whose livelihood depends on it, the players, staff, kitmen, masseurs, medical teams, production crews, operations staff – please stay calm. We’ll ride this storm together. Stick together and look out for each other. Keep training and getting better. Football has to resume soon. It will.”
