The ISL clubs and players have decided to file a joint petition in the Supreme Court as stakeholders of Indian football seek a way to restart the country's No. 1 league for the 2025-26 season.
The Kalyan Chaubey-headed All India Football Federation (AIFF) will also meet the ISL club representatives in person in the capital on November 18. The possibilities of having the league between January 1, 2026, and May 31, 2026 will be discussed.
This was a follow-up to the virtual meeting the clubs and the parent body had on Wednesday. It's still not clear when the joint petition by the clubs and players will be filed in the apex court.
Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya met representatives of I-League teams in New Delhi on Thursday to hear their grievances and urged for "constructive dialogue" between all the stakeholders to find a way forward.
FIFPro statement
FIFPro, the international players' union, has urged Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to intervene and help resolve the situation.
"FIFPro Asia/ Oceania has called for an immediate resolution to the escalating crisis in Indian professional football," the Asia/Oceania regional division of FIFPro said in a statement.
"... Despite the severe impact on players' livelihoods, the Federation has neither taken meaningful action to address the issue nor consulted with players, in a clear breach of their labour rights...
"We call on the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA to use their considerable leverage and to intervene to support a swift resolution."
SGM meeting
The AIFF on Thursday convened a special general body meeting (SGM) on November 24 to vote for a clause in its constitution which bars its office bearers from holding dual posts in the national body and state units.
It is, however, learnt that a majority of the state units have opposed the doing away with of the dual posts when the AIFF sought their approval via circulation in view of the court's directive to approve the contentious provision.