The season Indian Super League (ISL) turns 13 is also an opportunity for clubs to show that they can run it. Early indications have been good but Ravi Puskur, the FC Goa CEO, told HT: “Tomorrow is when the actual work begins.”
The season begins with a double-headers on Saturday. Around 70% of the matches until January 17 when the first phase ends with all 13 teams playing 12 rounds, will be on the weekends. It was one of the feedback from an online fan survey where nearly 8,500 took part.
Get more Indian players was another recommendation. Punjab FC have drafted 10 academy graduates to the first team, an increase of three from 2025-26.
FC Goa registered 10 Indians who are under-23, seven more than the minimum requirement in the ISL handbook. Their young players asked difficult questions to defending champions East Bengal and second-placed Mohun Bagan Super Giant last term so Sporting Delhi have kept faith in youth with the squad’s average age being 24.3 years.
For the first time, FC Goa have a full-time Indian coach in Gouramangi Singh. The former India defender is one of the three in the fray; T.G. Purushotaman (Odisha FC) and Clifford Miranda (Chennaiyin FC) are the others. Using more Indians on the pitch and in the staff also saves cost.
Some form of video referral was a third suggestion. Pitchside monitors where the referee can see footage from the eight cameras used might be available at some stage this season, a league official said.
After three seasons, ISL has a title sponsor, albeit with help from the owners of one of the clubs. For the first time matches will be free on YouTube. Also, for the first time, the owners of the clubs have met twice to brainstorm.
“That rid employees at clubs of the fear of indifference from their paymasters. It also helps build confidence about football in corporate India,” said Puskur.
Clubs already assure ₹29 crore through title sponsor
A two-year data rights deal worth approximately ₹15 crore every season has been signed, said the CEO of another club. The CEO, who did not want to be named, said, including broadcast production costs, ISL will need around ₹36 crore to conduct 163 matches.
“Clubs have already assured nearly ₹29 crore through the title sponsor and sale of data rights. We are hopeful of getting a couple of more sponsors,” said the CEO on Friday.
When commercial partners of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), who own ISL, ran it, clubs had little say. Things changed last term after the commercial partners didn’t renew the 15-year deal that ended in December 2025. Urged by Mansukh Mandaviya, the union sports minister, AIFF and the clubs collaborated for a half-season ISL.
The clubs assumed greater responsibility for a full season in the home-and-away format after refusing to accept the terms of Genius Sports, the sports data and technology company, which had successfully bid to be ISL’s commercial partners.
“We didn’t want a third party but we also didn’t know how to run a league,” said Puskur. He is on the management committee of ISL which also has a governing council comprising the owners and AIFF top brass. “So, this involves learning on the job.”
On the pitch, the challenge for over half the clubs – including Churchill Brothers who took Jamshedpur FC’s sporting licence to play in ISL – is to be as sharp as those who have played competitions. After losing the Durand Cup final to East Bengal, Mohun Bagan won the IFA Shield beating their archrivals on Thursday. SC Delhi and NorthEast took part in the Durand Cup. NorthEast and Punjab FC played in the Shield. Contrast that with Inter Kashi hosting Kerala Blasters with little training because player signings were held up due to a FIFA ban.
“Last year when we were playing in Asia, we were better than most teams in the Super Cup initially,” said Manolo Marquez. The Spaniard was referring to his third and final season at FC Goa. Now with Mumbai City FC, Marquez will take the former champions to Churchill Brothers on Sunday after pre-seasons from August 24 and with new signing Farukh Choudhary joining after Tuesday’s friendly against Uruguay.
A season of many firsts is also likely to be Sunil Chhetri’s last. “It would be nice to go to every venue and say ‘thank you,’” Chhetri, 42, told HT last month. “Getting into the first team isn’t easy but it is competing for a place that really makes me feel alive.”