The Indian Super League (ISL) is officially returning. The country’s top football tournament is set to kick off very soon. About two weeks ago, Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Sports Minister, made the announcement. He confirmed that the new season will begin on February 14.
While the start date is locked in, almost everything else about the upcoming season remains unclear. Fans are left with more questions than answers as the opening match approaches.
Here is a breakdown of the current situation based on the available information.
Are All Teams Participating?
There is some good news regarding the clubs. Every team from the previous setup will return. This means all 14 clubs have confirmed they will compete this season.
This list includes Inter Kashi, the newly promoted side. Despite the surrounding uncertainty, the team lineup remains intact and ready to play.
Who Are the Sponsors?
This is where the situation becomes difficult. For the last ten years, the league was backed by FSDL, which is supported by Reliance. That ten-year contract has now expired. The end of this deal is a major reason why the league is currently facing these operational delays.
When an initial request was put out for new commercial partners (a Request for Proposal, or RFP), it did not receive a single bid. This failure to find a partner led to a crisis. The meetings with the sports minister only happened after this failure. The current version of the league is being pushed through because they could not reach an agreement with the ISL clubs on a standard operating model.
As of now, there is no public information on who will sponsor the league.
Where Can You Watch the Matches?
Currently, there is no official broadcaster for the season.
A new Request for Proposal was released specifically for broadcast rights on Sunday, January 18. Interested parties have until February 1 to submit their bids.
This timeline is extremely tight. The deadline for bids is less than two weeks before the first match is supposed to happen. Until a bid is accepted, fans do not know which TV channel or streaming platform will show the games.
The Schedule and Fixtures
Nothing official has been released regarding the match schedule. We do not know who is playing whom, or when.
However, reports suggest that a proposal was sent to the clubs. This proposal has not been accepted yet. Interestingly, the draft schedule suggested starting the season with the Kolkata Derby: Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal.
This is the biggest match in Indian football. Usually, leagues do not use their biggest game as the season opener. It is common practice to treat a derby as a centerpiece event later in the season. Using it as the very first match is an unusual move.
A Shorter Season
We do know that the format will be different this year. It is going to be a heavily truncated season.
The plan is to play 91 matches in total. Theoretically, these will follow a home-and-away format. This is a significant drop compared to last season. Last year, the league featured 163 matches. This year, despite having an extra team in the mix, the total number of games has been cut drastically.
Stadium and Venue Uncertainty
If you are hoping to catch a match in your city, the situation is tricky. There is no official confirmation on venues yet.
According to reports from The Times of India, only three clubs have fully confirmed they have home stadiums ready without conditions. These clubs are Mohun Bagan, FC Goa, and East Bengal.
ESPN has reported that Bengaluru FC and Jamshedpur FC will also play at home. However, every other club is facing issues with stadium availability. Earlier reports even suggested that Mohammedan Sporting and Inter Kashi preferred to play only away games this season.
Player Wages
The financial strain is affecting the players as well. Many clubs have asked their squads to accept reduced wages for this shortened season. The response has been mixed. Players at some clubs have agreed to the cuts, while others have not.
What About the I-League?
The second tier of Indian football, the I-League, is in a similar situation.
AIFF head Kalyan Chaubey stated that it will start “around the same time as the ISL.” All 11 clubs are confirmed to participate. Like the ISL, the I-League will have a shortened season with only 55 matches. Just like the top tier, there are no confirmed dates, fixtures, or venues yet.
There is also a plan to merge the I-League 2 and I-League 3. This would create a large third-tier league consisting of 40 teams. However, beyond this basic concept, no details have been shared.
The AIFF’s New Vision
Despite the immediate chaos, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has announced long-term plans.
Last week, they unveiled a “21-year vision.” The goal is to align the ISL and I-League with global standards. The core of this plan involves setting up new committees.
They proposed two main bodies:
- The Governing Council (GC): This body will include seats for every ISL club, the AIFF, independent experts, and future commercial partners.
- The Management Committee (MC): This will include seats for ISL clubs on a rotational basis, the AIFF, and commercial partners.
These bodies will oversee the regulations and operations of the leagues. It is important to note that this new “21-year vision” is different from the “Vision 2047” document that the AIFF released previously.
Conclusion
The new football season is definitely happening, and the start date is set for February 14. However, the lack of sponsors, a broadcaster, and a confirmed schedule creates a confusing picture for fans. With a shortened calendar and venue issues, this season will look very different from previous years.
