The ISL 2025-26 will start from February 14, sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.
In the meeting held in New Delhi, where AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and representatives of the clubs (six in person and the rest eight online) were present, it was decided that all 14 teams will participate.
A source said the tough stand taken by the government forced the unwilling clubs to fall in line. “The clubs were told that even if there are five teams, the league will happen this season. Confirm or face relegation.
“The rattled clubs did not expect this, and after a few representatives spoke to their respective owners, all agreed to participate,” a person who is following the ISL impasse closely told The Telegraph.
“My argument is simple. After investing so much money in the last 11 years, everything will go down the drain if you do not play. The consensus could have been reached in November,” he added.
It was learnt that Odisha FC are having second thoughts as there will be relegation from this season, and also on the cost involved. “They are in bad shape,” a club official said.
If all the teams finally participate, 91 matches in a single home and away format will be played in the Swiss format. That means each team will play seven matches at home and six away. If Odisha FC back out, it will be 78 matches.
“The All India Football Federation will commit a total of ₹10.3 crore for the conduct of ISL (which is 40 per cent of the total cost), ₹3.2 crore for the conduct of the I-League and 100 per cent funding for the IWL. For the conduct of ISL, a total of 40 per cent will be invested by the AIFF.
“The remaining funds will be used from the annual calendar for training and competitions (ACTC) norms, which the union sports ministry earmarks for sports federations annually,” the ministry said in a statement.
For the ISL, the central pool is earmarked at ₹25 crore with Odisha FC on board. The clubs will have to bear the rest of the cost after what the AIFF promised to invest, which includes 30 per cent of the commercial partner share for this season.
“If the expenses incurred are higher with broadcasting, the club may have to pay ₹1 crore as participation fee,” a senior official said. FC Goa, who suspended their first-team participation on Monday, have a problem with the participation fee but they are game for the restart.
“I would like to thank all the stakeholders without whose help we would not have been able to resolve this crisis,” Chaubey told this paper.
“There were many factors that led to this, a new constitution and the absence of commercial partners being two major reasons. The AIFF had little role in either, but we had always maintained that the league would happen,” he added.
The game changer was the parent body’s decision on Saturday, following the report from the AIFF-ISL coordination committee, to announce the date of the commencement of the league this week.
It also said that the participating team agreement (PTA) would have to be signed this week. “The PTA would have separated the wheat from the chaff,” a club official said, hinting at the reluctant clubs.
“The court tied Kalyan’s hands. Poor fellow still did his best. A board (Governing Council Board) will be formed to run everything smoothly. Kalyan and I will ensure everything is in place,” the minister said in the meeting.
With the AIFF also pitching in as the commercial partner for this season, the Request for Proposal for the commercial rights for 2025-26 could be done away with. That’s logical because the RFP will delay the process by 15 days at least.
“Doordarshan will show the matches,” Mandaviya assured the clubs. “The players can be requested to take a pay cut also for this season,” he added. That, however, is a tricky terrain, as the players may not agree.
The government, on November 21, had told the apex court that it would ensure that the ISL is held and players are not put to any disadvantage.
The previous day, East Bengal had sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to address the “unprecedented crisis”.
