CHENNAI: The marathon meeting chaired by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya with key stakeholders of Indian Football on Wednesday did not see any major breakthrough.
The ministry heard all stakeholders -- All India Football Federation (AIFF), ISL clubs, I-league clubs, the FSDL, bidders to run the ISL, broadcasters and OTT platforms and followed it up with a joint meeting with all of them.
Officials have said that there were no major breakthroughs in the meeting. "The Minister listened to all of the concerns put forth by the stakeholders and promised to put an end to this," said an AIFF official.
A specific date or a timeline to prepare a solution on this however, remains unclear. "We were looking for a long-term solution," a club official added. The clubs and prospective bidders put forth their views to the sport ministry and AIFF as a co-host noted their points and concerns.
Throughout the year, the AIFF and its commercial arm — Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) — were in a deadlock over the expiring Master Rights Agreement (MRA). Both parties agreed to forego few rights in the MRA, and the AIFF had promised a 'open, fair and transparent' tender to find a new partner. The process was overlooked by former Supreme Court Judge Justice L Nageswara Rao. However, no bidders came forward, likely due to the terms set by the AIFF over governing the league and the financial incentives.
This prompted the Bid Evaluation Committee led by Justice Rao, which AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey is a part, to approach the Apex Court. The reason could be to strike a balance between AIFF and the prospective partner.
Clubs put forth their concerns, but return without any concrete solutions. "Our representative explained the financial and operational concerns due to the delay. A calendar for this season is not yet decided, too," added a club official.
Without a clear timeline, those most affected - clubs, players and staff who depend on the league are left with little to no concrete assurance and see no end to this impasse, for the time being.
