ISL stars appeal to FIFA to save Indian football: ‘Driven by fear and desperation.
Leading Indian football players, notably Sunil Chhetri, as well as a number of foreign players participating in the Indian Super competition (ISL), made a joint appeal to FIFA on Friday, pleading with the international governing body to step in while the nation’s premier competition is still suspended indefinitely.
Senior national team players, including Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and Sandhesh Jhingan, expressed worry about the protracted uncertainty while the 2025–26 ISL season has not yet begun, cautioning that Indian football is entering a condition of “permanent paralysis.”
FIFA World Cup 2026: MetLife Stadium to host the final FIFA
In a joint video statement shared on social media, Gurpreet stated, “It’s January, and we should be on your screens as part of a competitive football game in the Indian Super League.”
https://twitter.com/TheKhelIndia/status/2007093589214642517
Due to the uncertainties surrounding the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the league’s previous organisers, the 2025–26 ISL season was suspended in July.
The contractual standoff that resulted from the agreement’s December 8 expiration necessitated Supreme Court involvement. A tender for ISL’s commercial rights was put out under the direction of a commission constituted by the Supreme Court, but it was not accepted.
Thirteen of the fourteen Indian Super League clubs informed the AIFF on Thursday that they “may be ready and willing” to participate in the postponed season if there is no participation fee and the national organisation covers the competition’s organisational and operational expenses.
Leave a Reply