I-League clubs meet Sports Minister to request intervention; AIFF proposes physical meeting with ISL club CEOs
New Delhi: The I-League club owners convened in New Delhi on Thursday and met Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and other officials to discuss the ongoing crisis in domestic football.The meeting had representation from seven I-League clubs — Rajasthan United FC, Sreenidhi Deccan FC, Real Kashmir FC, Diamond Harbour FC, Namdhari FC, Gokulam Kerala FC, and Shillong Lajong FC — with Chanmari staying away due to logistical reasons. These eight clubs had boycotted the SOS call from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) a day earlier.During the discussion, Mandaviya listened to their concerns over the delayed football season with no end in sight. The minister acknowledged the challenges faced by the clubs in pumping in money without any returns, especially with no dates announced for the new season.Mandaviya directed the departments to work closely with the clubs, the Kalyan Chaubey-led AIFF, and find a solution to get the new season underway. As part of the next step, the ISL and I-League clubs will now have to wait for Retired Justice Nageswara Rao to bring the Apex Court up to speed on the latest situation in Indian football.On Wednesday, the clubs had demanded that the AIFF announce the start of the season within 10 days, beginning no earlier than December 15 and no later than January 5. The clubs had also asked for a single entity to manage the affairs of the three tiers — ISL, I-League, and I-League 2.
AIFF convenes physical meeting with ISL clubs
A day after marathon meetings involving Executive Committee members, I-League clubs, ISL captains, and ISL clubs, the football federation convened a physical meeting of the ISL clubs on November 18. In the note, the AIFF stated that it was “to discuss the possibilities of conducting the top-tier league between January 1, 2026, and May 31, 2026.”
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Subsequently, it was also notified that the Supreme Court will be requested to list the AIFF matter on November 19. At this hearing, Justice Rao is due to apprise the court of the AIFF’s failure to find bidders for the commercial rights of the ISL.
