ISL's darkest hour: Legal limbo stalls India's premier football league
Gaurav Laghate Another sports league risks collapse—this time, football's crown jewel—amid federation failure and legal freeze In April, the apex court ordered AIFF not to enter into any commercial agreement until its constitution is overhauled, throwing the league into limbo. Gift this article
The Indian Super League (ISL) is teetering on the brink of collapse, as a tussle between its operator and regulator upends the grand experiment to professionalize Indian footfall.
The Indian Super League (ISL) is teetering on the brink of collapse, as a tussle between its operator and regulator upends the grand experiment to professionalize Indian footfall.
After a 10-year run that cheered fans, brands and broadcasters, a dispute over revising the sport's governing agreement and an intervention by the Supreme Court has effectively stalled ISL. At the heart of the crisis: The expiring master rights agreement between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the commercial operator Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL).
An FSDL spokesperson said it cannot continue without legal clarity, ownership structure, and operational rights.
'We can't organize a league for which we don't have the rights," an FSDL spokesperson said. 'We've invested ₹ 4,500 crore in building this league over a decade. We pay the federation ₹ 50 crore a year. But they've had no stake, no accountability, no skin in the game. We would be breaching legal obligations if we go ahead without a valid agreement." Deal's end
In 2010, the governing body and the operator signed a 15-year agreement, under which FSDL pays ₹ 50 crore to AIFF every year. Before the agreement's upcoming expiry on 8 December, FSDL proposed to renew it in a club-led equity model, with FSDL holding a 26% stake. AIFF rejected this, proposing a flat fee renewal with modest hikes.
Adding to the dispute is a Supreme Court order.
In April, the apex court ordered AIFF not to enter into any commercial agreement until its constitution is overhauled, throwing the league into limbo. The result: the league has disappeared from the AIFF's calendar for the upcoming season.
Some of ISL's leading clubs include Kerala Blasters FC, Mohun Bagan Super Giant, Bengaluru FC, FC Goa, and Chennaiyin FC. Queries emailed to the clubs remained unanswered. An AIFF spokesperson could not be contacted.
The logjam over the agreement has dazed football clubs, disrupted planning for broadcasters, frozen player contracts, and disappointed football fans. A familiar pattern
The uncertainty over ISL mirrors a disturbing trend in Indian sports—From the dissolution of hockey and boxing leagues to repeated international suspensions of national federations, a lack of vision, structural opacity, and political infighting have derailed multiple sporting ecosystems. Football, despite ISL's glitz and corporate backing, is proving to be no exception.
Globally, football federations don't own leagues: they regulate. The commercial operations lie with private entities or clubs. India's hybrid model was always bound for friction. What's different now is that the legal system itself has stepped in, effectively halting India's most ambitious football venture.
'We were ready to build a more inclusive ownership model, with clubs owning the majority. But what broadcaster or sponsor will commit to a league that doesn't know who owns it?" the FSDL spokesperson said. Long-standing issues
While AIFF insists it is bound by the court's direction and is awaiting clarity, industry insiders say the federation's failure to pre-emptively restructure or act swiftly on long-standing governance issues that forced the Supreme Court's hand has led to the current crisis.
'This isn't about one contract; this is about institutional failure. AIFF didn't act when it had time. Now they're stuck, and the entire ecosystem is paying the price," a senior football administrator familiar with the matter said.
The ISL had brought global players, international coaches, top-tier broadcasting, and steady fan growth to Indian football. That the league may now go dark not due to commercial failure, but because of regulatory paralysis, is a severe indictment of how sport is run in the country.
The vanishing of Indian football's most credible platform could set back the sport by a decade, and send a signal to investors that no amount of money can protect against institutional dysfunction. Topics You May Be Interested In Stay updated with all the latest news and insights on Cricket, Football, and Tennis at Livemint Sports.
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