The letter from the ISL clubs came a day before a SC hearing of the case on Friday.
New Delhi: In a rare collective move, 11 Indian Super League (ISL) clubs have written to the senior lawyers assisting the Supreme Court of India, urging them to draw attention to the “existential crisis” facing Indian football’s top-tier league. The appeal comes a day before the apex court’s scheduled hearing of the case on Friday.
The clubs expressed deep concern over the uncertainty surrounding the future of the ISL, requesting an urgent judgment to avoid a complete standstill in Indian football. The letter, addressed to amici curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Samar Bansal, called for immediate clarity to safeguard the livelihoods of thousands engaged in the sport.
“Given that football clubs, their players, employees, and stakeholders are the most directly affected by the current standstill, we humbly request that our concerns be placed before the Hon’ble Bench,” the clubs wrote.
The signatories include Bengaluru FC, Hyderabad FC, Odisha FC, Chennaiyin FC, Jamshedpur FC, FC Goa, Kerala Blasters FC, Punjab FC, NorthEast United FC, Mumbai City FC, and Mohammedan Sporting.
The crisis erupted after Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the ISL organisers and commercial partners of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), announced on July 11 that the 2025–26 season was on hold. The uncertainty stems from the impending expiry of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between FSDL and AIFF, signed in 2010 and due to end on December 8, 2025.
The AIFF currently receives ₹50 crore annually under the agreement, but negotiations on its renewal remain stalled. The clubs said a verbal stay on discussions regarding the MRA since April 30, 2025, has frozen planning for the upcoming season.
Several clubs have already paused operations or suspended player salaries, with revenues hit hard due to lack of clarity. The letter warned that even a single season’s disruption could cause irreversible damage, eroding trust among fans, sponsors, investors, and global football bodies.
“Even one season’s disruption would undo more than a decade’s progress,” the clubs noted, highlighting their investments worth hundreds of crores in youth academies, training facilities, stadiums, and squads.
The ISL currently provides over 400 full-time player contracts annually, along with pathways for youth and grassroots football. Any further delay, the clubs cautioned, would make it impossible to secure broadcast deals, sponsorship agreements, and logistical arrangements, which require at least 6–8 weeks of advance certainty.
The clubs requested that if the proceedings extend beyond August 22, 2025, the court should at least permit processes for conducting the league to continue. They argued that a long-term, stable solution was critical not just for ISL but for the entire Indian football pyramid, including the I-League, grassroots academies, and other competitions.
“The loss of even one ISL season would have catastrophic consequences for Indian football as a whole,” the clubs stressed.
With sponsorships already being withdrawn and uncertainty deepening, the 11 clubs reiterated their plea for the Supreme Court to expedite judgment, ensuring stability and survival of India’s premier football league.
