Indian football clubs meet hoping to salvage tournament

The Indian Super League clubs met with the governing body Thursday, attempting to revive the country’s premier football competition as it teetered on the brink of collapse over a dispute between the federation and its commercial partner.

The ISL is usually played between September and April.

But a rights agreement between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the company that runs the ISL, ends on December 8 and is yet to be renewed.

Three ISL clubs, including former champions Bengaluru FC, have stopped paying the salaries of players and staff, citing a lack of clarity over the future of the tournament.

Pre-season training has also yet to start.

All 13 ISL clubs met with AIFF officials, to discuss a way forward, with federation head Kalyan Chaubey afterwards expressing optimism.

“We are hoping to have ISL this season, though it may be a bit late,” Chaubey told reporters in New Delhi.

“But we can do it with certain changes — maybe in format or other things.”

Talks to renew the 2010 agreement ended abruptly after India’s Supreme Court asked the AIFF to hold the deal over a separate case involving a new constitution for the federation.

The league has been paralysed by uncertainty since, affecting over 5,000 players, coaches, staff and others.

The AIFF is set to hold another meeting with the clubs in the coming days to discuss ways to salvage the tournament.

On the non-payment of salaries by certain clubs, however, Chaubey said, “AIFF is not going to interfere in how clubs operate”.

The franchise-based ISL started in 2014 as a league that brought global stars, including Italy’s Alessandro Del Piero, to India.

Bur rather than boom, the ISL has seen dwindling TV ratings and falling sponsor interest.

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