CHENNAI: When the All India Football Federation (AIFF) told the Supreme Court in September that a new commercial partner to run the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s premier football competition would be finalised by October 15 through a ‘open, competitive and transparent’ tender process, it gave a glimmer of hope to clubs. Not even a month has elapsed since the extended deadline (Nov 7), the clubs stare at another wave of uncertainty after the AIFF confirmed it has not received any bids for its Request for Proposal (RFP).
Among other conditions, one of the terms was hosting the ISL. The AIFF on Sunday in a statement said they had a meeting to review and discuss the RFP. “The Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) held a meeting on Sunday, November 9, 2025 to review and discuss the status of the “Request for Proposal (RFP) for Awarding the Right to Monetise the Commercial Rights Belonging to the All India Football Federation for a Limited Term,” it said.
“Following the deliberations of the Committee, the Chairperson of the committee Justice (Retd.) L. Nageswara Rao, will submit his report to the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India as the next step in the process.” An AIFF official said this could happen by Tuesday.
After the AIFF’s assurance to clubs that the season will begin by December, they resumed operations, signed players and played the Super Cup which began on October 25. A day after the league stage of the Super Cup concluded, where 10 ISL teams bowed out of the tournament, the AIFF had made the confirmation of receiving any bids.
If one takes a closer look at the RFP released a day after the original deadline expired (Oct 15), one can see their monetary expectations are almost similar to the one in the expiring Master Rights Agreement (MRA) with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). Notably, the FSDL is the commercial arm of the federation that hosts ISL. An annual guaranteed sum of Rs 37.5 crore (It collected Rs 50 crore from FSDL) or five per cent of annual gross revenue, whichever is higher between the two, is to be collected by the AIFF over a period of 15 years from December this year.Since AIFF has not received any bids, this could prompt the governing body to rethink the terms in the tender document.
The committee comprises Rao, AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey and Kesvaran Murugasu of the Asian Football Confederation as an independent member. Earlier, the AIFF confirmed through a statement that Rao will submit a report. The process is overlooked by the Supreme Court, and this report may prompt the court to take cognizance of the matter. This could even lead to delay in commencement of ISL. Another question mark would be on the number of matches scheduled to be played. In the tender document, 14 teams will play each other in a double round-robin format, summing up to 189 matches. With the season’s last day at 31st May 2026, conducting all of those matches would be a tough ask, considering the harsh conditions in the first five months of the year. Then, the only option will be to rethink the number of planned fixtures, preferably reduce it. The ISL remains crucial to the functioning of Indian football. Players, staff and other contracted workers depend on the league for their bread and butter.
Already enduring a tough period, when its senior men’s national team failed to qualify to the AFC Asian Cup, Indian football can’t risk another long period of delay. There is a possibility that the continental body AFC will have a close eye. If the AIFF does not hold the ISL, then clubs may not be able to compete in continental tournaments. According to an AIFF official, this could have an impact on the lower division leagues, both national men’s and women’s, because of the ISL’s lack of bids. Given the situation, an anxious wait for Tuesday begins, as clubs cannot afford another delay and to financially bleed.
Kerala Blasters suspend first-team training
Following Mohun Bagan’s decision to suspend first-team training, Kerala Blasters on Sunday confirmed that it suspended first-team training ‘indefinitely.’ Blasters bowed out of the Super Cup tournament, losing 0-1 to Mumbai City FC on Thursday (November 6). “There is no tournament for us to play now. The players are now sent home,” a club source told this daily. The source also felt that the AIFF had coaxed teams into beginning the season, only to be staring at another wave of uncertainty. “The Federation has not given us a tentative date yet. We await a swift decision on the same and we hope that the season starts,” the source added. Salaries, however, would not be suspended for now.
