CHENNAI: IN a dramatic turn of events, the Indian Super League clubs have shot a letter to the All India Football Federation and threatened legal recourse to safeguard the league and the sport. This was a day after the ISL clubs met the AIFF officials including its president Kalyan Chaubey at the headquarters in New Delhi on Thursday.
Despite assurances by the AIFF, the 11 ISL clubs except Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal, sent the letter asking the national body to expedite the process of bringing an end to the impasse. Because of the uncertainty of the ISL, two teams have discontinued payments for their players and one club even paused its operations.
The ISL clubs have urged the AIFF to approach the Supreme Court, where the case on AIFF's constitution and other governance issues are pending, and request them for urgent hearing. The letter has pointed out that, "This legal uncertainty and administrative vacuum are now threatening to cause irreversible damage to the Indian football ecosystem." The letter further said: "Clubs are unable to plan or invest, commercial contracts are on hold, and the livelihoods of thousands of players, staff, support personnel, and stakeholders are at immediate risk. Moreover, this situation could seriously derail the momentum of football development in the country at a time when there is a national push towards sport and Olympic competitiveness."
The Supreme Court had in April stated orally that no major decisions including one involving the ISL, AIFF's commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and the league should be taken. The Master Rights Agreement between the AIFF and the FSDL is ending in December and the two are still negotiating the revenue aspect of the ISL.
This has created uncertainty and the ISL clubs have pointed this out. "In view of the above, we respectfully urge the AIFF, in its capacity as the statutory regulator of football in India and the principal party to the proceedings, to urgently bring the current situation to the attention of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. We are, in fact, somewhat surprised that the matter has not already been brought to the Court’s attention, given its gravity and implications for the sport," said the letter. "This may be done by: Mentioning the matter for urgent listing and judgment and apprising the Hon’ble Court of the current situation to ensure that the ISL and associated competitions may proceed."
The ISL clubs also said that they believed such a step is both legally permissible and in the interest of safeguarding Indian football, the AIFF’s own regulatory mandate, and the welfare of all stakeholders involved. It needs to be seen how this moves forward.
