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Indian football giants Mohun Bagan Super Giant have suspended their first-team operations as the Indian Super League (ISL) remains in limbo, with the AIFF still struggling to sell the league’s commercial rights. The AIFF’s call for fresh bids on Friday saw no takers, deepening the uncertainty surrounding India’s top-tier competition. A senior Mohun Bagan official confirmed to Reuters that the club will only resume training “once it’s clear when the ISL kicks off,” though he admitted he’s “not hopeful” of a start before mid-January. Mohun Bagan, who were also part of the Asian Champions League Two, had already been withdrawn from the continental competition after refusing to travel to Iran for a group-stage clash with Sepahan SC on September 30. They’re not alone. Odisha FC and Bengaluru FC have also halted first-team activities or stopped paying salaries since the AIFF put the ISL on hold in July, citing stalled negotiations with commercial partners Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), led by Reliance. The talks hit a dead end after India’s Supreme Court ordered the AIFF not to renew its deal with FSDL until a pending constitutional reform case was resolved. AIFF addressed more than 230 queries and issued multiple corrigenda to modify timelines and bid criteria, yet the process still failed to secure a commitment, according to sources. The new proposal required a minimum annual guarantee of ₹37.5 crore or 5% of gross revenue, whichever was higher, terms many deemed unrealistic given the league’s current market position. With no deal in sight, the AIFF said its bid evaluation committee will meet this weekend to decide the next steps. They now face a challenging task to restructure their commercial framework, with grassroots development, national team funding, and league operations all potentially affected by the growing financial strain.
