A proposal by 10 Indian Super League clubs seeking perpetual operational and commercial ownership of the country’s top-tier football competition failed to get the approval of the All India Football Federation General Body, which on Saturday instead formed a committee to examine the matter.
The clubs had on Friday proposed a fundamental restructuring of the ISL, seeking perpetual operational and commercial rights under a club-owned league model while retaining the AIFF as the regulator of the sport.
However, the proposal did not find consensus when it was placed before the AIFF Annual General Meeting.
AIFF Executive Committee member Avijit Paul had earlier termed the proposal “unacceptable”.
In a statement issued after the AGM, the AIFF said, “A proposal regarding the future of the ISL was submitted by 10 clubs and presented at the AGM by Mr. Vinay Chopra, CEO of Mohun Bagan Super Giant. Due to mixed reactions from the assembly regarding the clubs’ request to manage the league in perpetuity, the Federation appointed a three-member committee to seek a resolution.”
The committee will comprise Kerala Football Association president Navas Meeran, Goa state unit chief Caitano Fernandes and Indian Football Association secretary Anirban Datta, with AIFF deputy secretary General M. Satyanarayan as an ex-officio member.
The panel will hold discussions with representatives of five clubs, Chennaiyin FC, Mumbai City FC, Delhi Sporting Club, NorthEast United FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant, between 22-29 December.
“Their objective is to reach an agreement that adheres to the AIFF Constitution laid out by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India,” the statement added.
The federation said it may consult FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation, if required, to review how similar situations in other countries were handled.
“During these proceedings, the respective observers from FIFA and the AFC, Mr. Prince Rufus and Mr. Niren Mukherjee, advised that the AIFF Constitution remains the governing authority for these decisions,” the AIFF said.
Earlier, the ISL clubs had urged the AIFF to approach the Supreme Court to amend what they described as “commercially restrictive” clauses of the new constitution.
With the AIFF reiterating that any solution must adhere to the constitution framed by the apex court, the possibility of a future agreement remains uncertain.
Saturday’s decision means the uncertainty surrounding the future of the ISL is unlikely to be resolved immediately.
Indian domestic football has been in turmoil since Football Sports Development Limited informed the AIFF in July that it was keeping the top-tier league on hold due to a lack of clarity over the renewal of the 15-year Master Rights Agreement, which expired on 8 December.
After a tender for the ISL’s commercial rights received no bids, Justice Rao recommended to the Supreme Court that a balance be struck between preserving the AIFF’s authority and accommodating the commercial interests of prospective bidders.
During the AGM, official objection letters from Executive Committee members Avijit Paul and Valanka Alemao against the ISL clubs’ proposal were formally placed on record, along with a letter from East Bengal FC director Debabrata Sarkar, written on behalf of Emami East Bengal FC.
The General Body also considered a proposal from I-League clubs and constituted a separate three-member committee comprising Andhra Pradesh Football Association president Kotagiri Sridhar, Mizoram state unit secretary Lalrengpuia and Punjab FA secretary Harjinder Singh, who will work with Satyanarayan to explore a resolution.
In addition, in compliance with the AIFF Constitution, the General Body approved the appointment of several retired Supreme Court and High Court judges, a former Chief Election Commissioner and various former IPS officers as chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of the independent judicial committees.
The AIFF Executive Committee met prior to the AGM.
