New Delhi, Aug 9
The All India Football Federation has confirmed that they will give full support to the Indian Super League clubs, following reports of the 13 teams wanting to bring the matter of the current suspension of the league to the immediate notice of the Supreme Court.
The ISL is currently suspended with no start date given due to the stalling over the Masters Right Agreement with the FSDL which has forced a few clubs to suspend their footballing operations.
"The AIFF has given assurance to the CEOs of 13 ISL clubs on August 7, 2025, during a meeting with all stakeholders in New Delhi, that the Federation will do everything as per the Constitution/legal advice to support the country's top-tier league," read the post on Indian Football's 'X' handle.
On Thursday, AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey assured that the country's top-flight football league will take place this year. However, he clarified that the AIFF will not interfere in the internal operations of clubs, including issues related to payments to players and staff.
AIFF called the club CEOs in New Delhi on Thursday to clarify the ongoing situation/
After the meeting, Chaubey confirmed the scheduling of ISL this year without giving any concrete plan, but refrained from commenting on teams' suspending their first team operations.
"The ISL will be held this year. There is no doubt about that at the same time, it's the club's decision to pay their players or staff. We can't intervene - that's how all top leagues operate,
"We are anticipating the Super Cup to take place in the second or third week of September. Some teams need six to eight weeks to complete their preparations and bring back players. In our next meeting, we'll announce the kick-off date," said Chaubey to reporters after the game.
Additionally, the AIFF president proposed scheduling the Super Cup in the second or third week of September to provide ISL clubs with adequate competitive matches, given the uncertainty surrounding the league's resumption.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an expat working in Mumbai, I've grown to love ISL matches. This uncertainty is disappointing for fans. AIFF needs to be more transparent about timelines - "everything in support" sounds vague without concrete action plans.
Typical AIFF response - all talk no action! Players and staff haven't been paid for months and they say "we can't intervene"? What kind of federation is this? They should take responsibility for the league they sanction.
The Super Cup in September is a good stopgap solution. At least our boys will get some competitive matches. But long-term, we need proper scheduling - can't have our national team players going months without proper football.
Interesting to see how this develops. In Europe, leagues have strong governing bodies that ensure financial stability. Maybe ISL needs similar regulations to prevent such crises in future.
As a football mom, I'm worried about young players' careers. Many ISL players come from humble backgrounds - they depend on these salaries. AIFF should mediate payment issues, not wash hands off responsibility.
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