A high-level coordination committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has called for the immediate announcement of the commencement date for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season. In a significant move, the panel has also recommended that clubs refusing to participate should be relegated to the immediate lower division.
Key Recommendations and Proposed Timeline
The three-member committee has put forward February 15 as the proposed start date for the new edition of the country's top-tier football league. It has set a deadline of January 15 for the participating clubs to submit their mandatory 20-year agreements with the federation.
This development comes after protracted negotiations between the AIFF and the 14 ISL clubs, which have been ongoing since August of the previous year without a conclusive result. The coordination committee itself has held five meetings in the last ten days to break the deadlock.
Financial Concessions and Operational Agreements
The recent discussions have yielded some progress, with the federation agreeing to several key demands from the clubs. The AIFF has consented to financially contribute towards the organisation of the league. In a major relief for clubs, they have been granted time until June to pay this season's franchise fee of Rs 1 crore.
Furthermore, clubs have been given the freedom to refine the existing Request for Proposal (RFP) to make it more appealing for potential commercial partners and broadcasters. According to sources, the panel has recommended that the AIFF bear the cost of refereeing and broadcast production for the season. The federation will contribute Rs 5 crore, which amounts to 12.5% of the total estimated cost of organising the league in a single leg at a centralised venue, towards operational expenses.
Clubs to Lead Commercial Negotiations
The committee's report, submitted to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, states that clubs will lead discussions and negotiations on commercial matters. Their inputs will be incorporated into the RFP for securing a commercial partner and broadcaster. The AIFF emergency committee met on Saturday to consider the report, which advocated that the league be conducted by the federation itself.
Following the meeting, the AIFF released a statement confirming, "we will conduct the league, and the date of commencement will be announced next week." The committee urged the AIFF to finalise a short-term competition format in consultation with the clubs and, in the absence of consensus, to use its authority as the league owner to decide without further delay.
The panel comprises Navas Meeran (Kerala Football Association president), Caitano Fernandes (Goa Football Association president), and Anirban Dutta (Indian Football Association secretary), with AIFF deputy secretary general M. Satyanarayan serving as the ex-officio member.
