The new year does not augur well for Indian club football.

Going by what the clubs wrote to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Thursday, the day they were supposed to confirm their participation in the ISL and the format they would like to play in.

It's running around in circles as the clubs, after a series of meetings with the parent body between December 22 and 29, harped on the same old things they have been clamouring for the past three months.

Thirteen of the 14 ISL clubs on Thursday told the AIFF that they "may be ready and willing" to take part in the delayed 2025-26 season if there is no participation fee and the latter takes financial responsibility for the organisational and operational costs of the truncated competition.

Putting conditions on their participation, the clubs also requested the national federation to furnish "a clear, time-bound roadmap for execution of the long-term plan, including defined timelines for appointment of a commercial partner and/or broadcaster, finalisation of the league’s revenue, governance, and risk-sharing framework, and transition to a financially self-sustaining competition model consistent with statutory governance norms".

The ISL clubs also urged the AIFF to seek commercial or institutional support from the government to make the 2025-26 season sustainable.

"Upon receipt of the above confirmations, the undersigned clubs shall be in a position to formally confirm participation and cooperate fully with the AIFF to ensure the orderly, compliant, and successful conduct of the 2025–26 season," the letter said.

Thursday's letter adds to the woes Indian football has been enduring for the past six months.

It remains to be seen how the AIFF deals with it.

Football, meanwhile, remains in limbo.