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The crisis gripping Indian football has now reached the doors of Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, 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 frozen the country’s domestic season. Held in hybrid mode on Wednesday, the meeting was expected to find a way forward for the stalled ISL and I-League seasons. However, with no resolution in sight and I-League clubs boycotting the meeting citing “short notice,” tensions have only deepened. The clubs’ representatives are now set to meet Mandaviya in New Delhi on Thursday in what could be a last-ditch attempt to rescue the season. “The Sports Minister is meeting representatives of both I-League and ISL tomorrow to discuss the ongoing deadlock,” a senior ministry source told PTI. AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, who also represents the BJP from West Bengal, declined to comment, saying, “I can’t say anything on the meeting as it will be unethical.” It remains unclear whether he will attend Thursday’s discussion with Mandaviya. Clubs Unite, Demand Common League Partner In a separate development, I-League clubs held their own meeting in Delhi and sent a joint letter to AIFF general secretary M Satyanarayan, calling for a “common league partner” to manage all divisions — ISL, I-League, and I-League 2 — under one umbrella. “We suggest all three leagues should be managed by one common partner. This will ensure long-term holistic growth,” the letter stated, signed by all eight I-League club owners. The clubs have also urged the AIFF to announce the I-League within 10 days, proposing a start date between December 15, 2025 and January 5, 2026, with broadcast coverage by Star Sports, Sony, or JioCinema. Players Sound Alarm Top Indian footballers including Sunil Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan have publicly voiced concern, warning that the livelihoods of hundreds of players and staff are now at stake. “Our anger and frustration have turned into desperation,” the players said in a joint statement on Monday. The crisis stems from the collapse of AIFF’s long-standing commercial partnership with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). After FSDL exited, the federation’s search for a new league operator drew no bids, forcing the ISL’s postponement. The matter is now being monitored by the Supreme Court, which ratified a new AIFF constitution last year. (with PTI inputs)
