India’s top footballers have issued an impassioned plea to revive the Indian Super League (ISL), saying their “anger and frustration” has now turned into “desperation” as the country’s premier competition remains suspended indefinitely.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) last week confirmed that it had received no bids for the ISL’s commercial and media rights, leaving the future of the 2024–25 season in limbo. The Request For Proposal (RFP), issued on October 16, had sought a 15-year partnership for monetising the league’s rights.
Star defender Sandesh Jhingan led the chorus of discontent, posting a video on Tuesday urging immediate action.
“Where we are right now is not a delay anymore — it’s a standstill. We’ve sacrificed too much to let our season vanish in silence,” he said. “Every day we wait, Indian football bleeds. We need action, and we need it now.”
National team icons Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu also echoed his sentiments, sharing a joint statement signed by several ISL players.
“We stand united in our efforts to get the Indian Super League season underway. To put it simply, we want to play, and now,” it read.
The players appealed to the AIFF and stakeholders to “match our desperation with honest intent,” stressing that the uncertainty has left the entire football ecosystem — from coaches to fans — in the dark.
“As for us, we remain committed, professional and ready to walk out of that tunnel and onto the pitch the moment we’re told we can,” the statement added.
The crisis comes as the AIFF awaits a report from the Bid Evaluation Committee, chaired by retired Justice Nageswara Rao, on the failed bid process being monitored by the Supreme Court.
The RFP had proposed key reforms — including scrapping franchise fees from 2025–26, introducing a video support system, enforcing a salary cap of ₹18 crore per club, and ensuring promotion and relegation — to attract new partners. Yet, despite these measures, there were no takers.
The impasse has already led top clubs, such as Mohun Bagan Super Giant, to suspend operations, raising concerns about the league’s commercial viability and the federation’s ability to sustain India’s top-tier competition after its decade-long partnership with Football Sports Development Limited ended.
For now, as the players’ statement summed up, “We’ve found ourselves in a very dark tunnel for a long time. We could do with a little light.”
(With PTI inputs)
