One day before the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) ended, this newsletter had spoken of uncertain times ahead. One day after another fantastic end to a season, HT Kick Off wouldn’t be wide of the mark if it did the same.
Players and staff whose contracts end this season do not know what the future holds because clubs aren’t talking of renewals or new deals. Yet. That’s because they say the short and long-term revenue projections are not clear. “Owners know that it is impossible to breakeven but they would at least like to be told there is light at the end of the tunnel, however long that tunnel is,” a club CEO told me. Seeking to protect relationships, the CEO requested anonymity.
Same old, same old?
Not unlike the last season, right? Added this time was pay cuts, deferred salaries, players being released, delayed appointments of coaching staff, clubs suspending operations and more action in the Supreme Court than on the pitch. Having bloated their players’ salary expenditure, the clubs had even asked AIFF to step in. Thankfully, the federation did not interfere in a problem that was not of their making. The season happened after some tough talk by Union sports ministry officials and it was only because AIFF got Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to say “let’s football” in January that all 14 clubs took part.
The ministry cannot be thanked enough. From getting a broadcaster, framing fixtures to getting the teams ready, everything was a race against time but clubs and AIFF worked together to pull off a single-leg season that needed four simultaneous kick-offs on the final day.
It was a season where East Bengal, even if they still await their first win in an ISL Kolkata derby, came of age and Punjab FC again showed developing young players and being title contenders are not mutually exclusive.
For the first time in ISL, a team were relegated. Bengaluru FC bounced back after a defeat to Punjab FC but, in Renedy Singh they did not trust. In Oscar Bruzon, East Bengal did but the Spaniard said the lack of clarity about the next season is why he would be stepping away.
A strange proposal
Here’s where it gets different from 2024-25. Then, it was the absence of a commercial partner that had led to uncertainty. Now, AIFF has two willing to take up that role, one of them promising $7m annually for the next 15+5 years for the commercial rights of ISL and a cup competition. Problem is: the clubs, after two meetings with Genius Sports, do not know when they can offset losses with inflow from the central revenue pool.
Because the term sheet is yet to be signed, Genius Sports has not been forthcoming with details and while that is fair, it has also meant that clubs still don’t know what’s in it for them. Not long before AIFF and Genius Sports’s legal teams were running a toothcomb over the term sheet, some clubs threw a curve ball, saying let’s unbundle the rights and do away with a commercial partner altogether. There has been no explanation why this was not suggested when not one but two tenders inviting bids to be commercial partners were issued. Then, East Bengal came up with a proposal that read more like league regulations.
On Wednesday, AIFF announced that seven ISL clubs had failed to meet the licensing criteria. This being a regular occurrence, it would be unfair of clubs to blame it on how things were in the season just ended. Credit to the clubs that chose to fulfil requirements and get their licence instead of paying fines and remaining in ISL.
AIFF can do little about this but regarding the season, it is hopeful that things will move fast after the term sheet is signed. The federation is keen on a full season starting with the Durand Cup in July with a 14-team home-and-away ISL from late August or early September. President Kalyan Chaubey is scheduled to meet club owners/CEOs on Friday and chair a special general meeting on Saturday. It is for the federation to explain to its members and clubs how normal service will resume in 2026-27.
