ISL clubs table four-year plan, offer AIFF Rs 15.4 crore after sports minister talks

NEW DELHI: Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday assured the Indian Super League (ISL) clubs that the upcoming 2026-27 season will go ahead as planned. But in a major development, the club proposal has been finalised for the next four years. Under the new structure, clubs will pay Rs 1.1 crore each which amounts to Rs 15.4 crore if all 14 teams play.

The meeting, proposed last week without an agenda, was held at the SAI office in New Delhi.




It comes at a time when the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the ISL clubs are at an impasse over the long-term vision of the sport in the country. While AIFF is keen on appointing Genius Sports as the commercial partner, the teams have proposed a club-led model.

Mandaviya met with the ISL clubs, the AIFF officials and ex-AIFF president Praful Patel, who is currently the head of the Western India Football Association, to broker peace and suggest a way forward.

In the latest proposal, the ISL clubs have suggested a two-year club-led model with the AIFF receiving Rs 15 crore annually. It is higher than the Rs 12.4 crore that the national federation would earn if it goes with the Genius Sports-led commercial model of 15+5 years.

It is worth noting that the AIFF received Rs 50 crore from FSDL, the erstwhile commercial partners in the league. After the administration fees from Genius Sports, the federation hopes to charge the clubs an entry fee. That proposal has been vehemently opposed by the clubs.

During the meeting, the clubs also requested the government's intervention on stadium rental and fees which have been a challenge for the clubs.

As per the calendar suggested by the AIFF, the men's football season will run from June 1 to May 31, 2027.