A growing standoff between Indian Super League clubs and the All India Football Federation has intensified after the league game of the 2025-26 season. Multiple clubs have publicly warned that their long-term involvement in the competition may be reconsidered if the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the league remains unresolved.
Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City FC, Bengaluru FC, Inter Kashi and Sporting Club Delhi were among the teams that released the joint statement through their official social media accounts on Friday, less than 24 hours before the AIFF’s Special General Body Meeting.
“With deep concern and disappointment, the clubs of the Indian Super League wish to state that, given the continued uncertainty surrounding professional football in India, we are now compelled to review the extent of our commitment to the league beyond the current season,” the clubs said in their joint statement.
The clubs pointed to mounting financial strain and the lack of a clear long-term roadmap as major concerns affecting the league’s future. In the letter, they mentioned that the current structure doesn’t provide clarity, keeping in mind that the recently concluded season lasted just more than three months and was played on a one-leg basis.
“Our clubs have consistently invested in Indian football, often in difficult and uncertain circumstances, and remain deeply committed to its future. However, the continued absence of structural clarity, commercial clarity and long-term visibility has made it increasingly difficult to justify the financial and operational commitments required to compete sustainably,” the statement added.
What happened to the deal with Genius Sports?
Meanwhile, at the centre of the dispute is the commercial direction of the ISL after the expiration of the Master Rights Agreement between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited earlier this season. The deadlock contributed to prolonged delays and forced the 2025-26 campaign into a shortened 13-match schedule that only began in February.
A proposed long-term agreement involving Genius Sports has reportedly become another major point of contention. While the company is understood to have submitted the highest bid earlier this year with a proposed Rs 2129 crore deal spanning 15+5 years, clubs are believed to be resisting the current structure attached to the arrangement.
Instead, ISL teams are backing an alternative model that would see Genius Sports serve as a data and technology partner while clubs retain the majority of the league’s commercial rights.
“At the heart of Indian football’s future must be a financially sustainable league. The clubs have proposed an alternative model which we believe is credible, constructive and worthy of being evaluated on merit, alongside any other proposal before the AIFF.”
“We urge the AIFF to acknowledge the realities faced by those funding and operating the league, and work collaboratively towards a framework that is sustainable, inclusive and built with all stakeholders in mind,” the statement further read.
The AIFF also enters Saturday’s meeting under added scrutiny after objections were raised regarding the legality of the General Body structure itself, adding another layer of uncertainty to an already tense period for Indian football.
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