The deepening crisis in Indian football has now reached the corridors of power.
Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya is set to step in after a high-level meeting between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Indian Super League (ISL) club CEOs failed to break the deadlock that has paralysed the domestic circuit.
The ISL season remains frozen. Players are without matches, clubs have suspended training, and frustration across the football community is spilling into public view.
I-League clubs were invited to Wednesday’s hybrid meeting but boycotted it, citing the short notice. They will meet Mandaviya on Thursday to demand immediate intervention.
“The Sports minister is meeting representatives of both I-League and ISL tomorrow to discuss the ongoing deadlock,” a ministry source told PTI.
It’s still unclear whether AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, a BJP leader from West Bengal, will attend. “I can’t say anything on the meeting as it will be unethical,” Chaubey told PTI when asked about his talks with ISL club executives.
The crisis began after Football & Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the commercial partner that had managed the ISL since its inception, exited its agreement with the AIFF.
The federation’s bid to find a new partner failed when not a single company responded to its tender, leaving India’s top football league stranded.
With the 2025–26 ISL season indefinitely postponed, players have begun to speak out.
“Where we are right now is not a delay anymore, it’s a standstill for the coaches, fans, staff members, and players. We have worked too hard, sacrificed too much to let our season vanish in silence,” said defender Sandesh Jhingan in a video message that captured the growing anger.
I-League clubs, too, have banded together. In a letter to AIFF general secretary M Satyanarayan, they demanded a single commercial partner for all divisions, ISL, I-League, and I-League-2, to ensure financial stability and a unified structure.
“We suggest all the three leagues, ISL, I-League and I-League-2 should be managed by one common league partner. This shall ensure long term holistic growth,” their letter said.
They also urged the federation to announce the I-League within the next 10 days.
“The league should ideally commence by December 15, 2025 and no later than January 5, 2026. Needless to say the league should be telecast by top two broadcasters (Star Sports and Jio-Hotstar, Sony Sports and Sony Liv),” the letter added.
The clubs reminded the AIFF that the current committee’s tenure began with “a lot of hope and optimism that Indian football developmental ecosystem will see better days than the past.”
Optimism has turned to outrage. The players’ joint statement earlier this week said their “anger and frustration” had given way to desperation as hundreds of livelihoods hang in balance.
The Supreme Court, which approved the AIFF’s new constitution last year, is keeping an eye on the situation. Defending champions Mohun Bagan have halted training, and several clubs are on the brink of crisis.
