Indian footballers urge quick revival of ISL, say frustration has turned into desperation

Indian footballers, including Sunil Chhetri and Sandesh Jhingan, have jointly urged the AIFF to restart the paused ISL season, saying their frustration has turned into desperation. The appeal follows the federation’s failure to attract bidders for the league’s commercial rights

New Delhi: India’s distressed football players issued a joint statement on Tuesday, pleading with the administrators to get the currently paused Indian Super League season underway, saying their “anger and frustration” have now turned into desperation.

The plea came after the All India Football Federation (AIFF) last week said it did not receive any bids for the commercial rights of the ISL following the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued on October 16, which invited bids for a 15-year contract to monetise the league’s commercial and media rights.

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“Where we are right now is not a delay anymore, it’s a standstill for the coaches, fans, staff members, and players. We have worked too hard, sacrificed too much to let our season vanish in silence,” said star defender Sandesh Jhingan in a video posted on his social media handles.

“The entire Indian football ecosystem is hanging in uncertainty. Dreams are paused. The future is being questioned. Every day we wait, Indian football bleeds. We need action, and we need it now,” he asserted.

Several national team footballers, including Sunil Chhetri and Gurpreet Walia, shared a text statement expressing similar sentiments.

“We, professional footballers who play in the Indian Super League, are coming together to make a plea and, more importantly, to send the message that we stand united in our efforts to get the Indian Super League season underway. To put it simply, we want to play, and now.”

“Our anger, frustration, and distress have now been replaced by desperation — desperation to play the game we love, in front of people who mean everything to us — our families, our fans,” the statement read.

Chhetri also added on Instagram, “We are all standing shoulder to shoulder, willing to do whatever it takes to resurrect the sport we love.”

The statement urged the game’s administrators to figure out a way to end the current crisis, which has already prompted top clubs like Mohun Bagan to halt training.

“This is a plea to all those involved in running our sport in the country, to do whatever it takes to get the football season underway. India needs its competitive football now more than ever,” it said.

“As for us, we remain committed, professional, and ready to walk out of that tunnel and onto the pitch the moment we’re told we can. All we ask of those running our beautiful game is to match our desperation with honest intent. We’ve found ourselves in a very dark tunnel for long. We could do with a little light,” it added.

The AIFF Bid Evaluation Committee, headed by retired Justice Nageswara Rao and appointed on the orders of the Supreme Court, will submit a report on the bid issue to the top court, which is monitoring the process.

Among the key features of the RFP were a waiver of franchisee fees for ISL clubs from the 2025-26 season, the introduction of a video support system (and subsequently VAR), and the implementation of promotion and relegation from 2025-26 as per the Supreme Court directive.

The new commercial partner would also have been responsible for match production with at least 11 cameras, marketing, media rights sales, and grassroots investment — of which 70 per cent was to be distributed among ISL clubs and the rest to I-League teams.

The RFP further required the partner to fund grassroots development, ensure transparency in media rights allocation, and adhere to a salary cap of Rs 18 crore per club starting from the 2025-26 season.

The AIFF now faces a fresh challenge in securing a commercial framework for the ISL — the country’s top football event, which was launched in 2014 amid hopes of transforming Indian football’s profile and revenue base.

The failure to attract bidders is likely to raise questions over the league’s current commercial viability and the federation’s ability to monetise the country’s flagship football competition after its decade-long partnership with Football Sports Development Limited ended.