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ISL clubs seek dates from All India Football Federation
ISL clubs and AIFF may meet after a letter exchange, seeking clarity on ISL's future amid uncertainty over agreements with commercial partners.
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Kolkata: The possibility of a meeting between Indian Super League (ISL) clubs and the All India Football Federation (AIFF) brightened following an exchange of letters on Wednesday one day after the clubs had written to the federation seeking a dialogue with the president.
Acknowledging the clubs’ letter, AIFF wrote back saying, “We appreciate your collective intent and constructive approach towards the development and stability of Indian football.” AIFF asked the clubs to confirm names of their representatives for the proposed meeting. Listing names of their representatives, the clubs have asked for two options when AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey would be available so that they can decide on one.
Eight clubs had written to AIFF seeking a meeting with Chaubey because of the uncertainty around ISL since the agreement between the federation and its commercial partners end this year.
The clubs want to know from the AIFF president how he is confident ISL will happen. An ISL club official had also said AIFF had not shown any urgency regarding the 2025-26 ISL season.
Reacting to that an AIFF official said the federation had written to its commercial partners on September 19, 2024, to discuss the master rights agreement which ends on December 8 this year. A follow-up letter was sent on November 21, 2024 and again on January 24, 2025. “In the letter in January, AIFF offered to go and meet their representatives in Mumbai,” the official said.
The first meeting happened on February 5,2025 and there were two more in March, the AIFF official said. A task force was formed at the AIFF executive committee meeting on April 7 and it met on April 18, said the official. AIFF responded to FSDL’s proposal sent on March 5 on April 21 but its counter-proposal was rejected three days later, said the official. The Supreme Court’s observation on April 26 to not take any major decision then put the negotiation on hold, said the official.
