Following Supreme Court directive, AIFF and FSDL reached an agreement and submitted a proposal to the court to commence ISL 2025-26 from December.
The pair were at loggerheads due to lack of a confirmed contractual framework beyond December 2025 when the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between FSDL and the governing body AIFF expires. This led to the league being suspended definitely.
The standoff between the parties stems from FSDL’s proposal of a new ownership structure wherein a new entity will be formed to run the ISL. Clubs will own 60 percent of the new entity, FSDL will own 26% and AIFF the remaining 14% in a profit-and-loss sharing model with FSDL retaining veto power. However, as per the earlier MRA, AIFF was getting 50 crores a year – the absence of which is a major concern for the governing as it formed a substantial chunk of its budget to run its operation.
FSDL has also indicated as per the new terms that there will be no relegation for the next 10 years and strict conditions for promotion from the I-League deviating from the roadmap promised to the AFC a few years ago.
In light of the Supreme Court asking the two warring parties to come up with a solution, AIFF and FSDL in a meeting held with top officials on August 25 decided to hold the ISL with the following stipulations:
-The season will start with the Super Cup in September.
-ISL 2025-26 will commence in December 2025.
-AIFF will float a tender for selecting a new commercial/marketing partner and the process will be concluded by October 15.
-FSDL will waive its “Right to First Negotiation” and “Right to Match” under the original Master Rights Agreement from 2010.
AFC had written to AIFF recently expressing concern over lack of clarity on the ISL being held.
Following AIFF-FSDL proposal, Supreme Court appointed retired judge L Nageswara Rao to oversee AIFF’s tender process to seek new commercial/marketing partners
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