Bengaluru FC owner Parth Jindal has issued a stark warning to his players, urging them to make significant sacrifices to ensure the club's survival. This plea comes as the Indian Super League (ISL) grapples with a severe financial crisis, lacking a commercial partner for the upcoming season.
The Financial Burden and Call for Sacrifice
In a series of posts on social media platform X, Jindal laid bare the precarious financial situation facing not just Bengaluru FC but the entire ISL ecosystem. He stated that tremendous sacrifice from all clubs is being asked for to play the ISL in its current format. The core of the issue is the absence of a title sponsor or commercial partner for the league after the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) ended on December 8 last year.
Jindal did not specify the exact nature of the sacrifices required from footballers, but it is widely understood to involve reduced salaries for the current season. This would impact star players like former India captain Sunil Chhetri and goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. He emphasized that the club has been a loss-making venture since its ISL entry and that this year's financial numbers, without player cooperation, could force many to shut shop for good.
Government Intervention and League Structure
The crisis saw intervention from Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who announced on Tuesday that the delayed 2025-26 ISL season will commence on February 14. All 14 original clubs are confirmed to participate. The season will feature 91 matches on a home-and-away basis, though the detailed logistics are still being finalized.
Following the minister's announcement, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey provided financial details. He revealed that a central pool of Rs 25 crore has been created solely for conducting the ISL. Of this, the AIFF will contribute 40% (Rs 10 crore), with an additional 30% (Rs 7.5 crore) stepping in to cover the missing commercial partner's share. The remaining 30% (Rs 7.5 crore) will be borne by the participating clubs, amounting to roughly Rs 1 crore per club.
Broader Concerns and Future Steps
The financial uncertainty had earlier prompted top players, including Sunil Chhetri, to call for FIFA's intervention, warning of a permanent paralysis in Indian football. Jindal, while thanking Minister Mandaviya for his proposal that helped end the immediate crisis, highlighted the ongoing vulnerability.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is expected to float a new tender soon to find a commercial partner. This comes after an earlier tender, supervised by a Supreme Court-appointed committee, failed to attract any bidders. Chaubey expressed hope for a swift resolution, noting that the government is ready to assist if further difficulties arise.
Jindal's candid appeal underscores a critical juncture for Indian club football. His message, reposted by FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur, frames the situation as a collective battle for survival, driven by a shared love for the sport. The success of the upcoming ISL season now hinges not just on on-field performances but on crucial financial compromises off it.
