PANAJI: The Indian Super League (ISL) is expected to have a new team next season with Hyderabad FC informing the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and FSDL, the owners of the league, of their intent to rebrand and relocate the club to Delhi.
Hyderabad came into existence after FC Pune City, beset by financial problems over the previous years, shut shop in 2019. With little time for preparations, Hyderabad finished at the bottom in their first season, but the arrival of Manolo Marquez changed the club’s fortunes. They beat the odds to win the ISL Trophy just two years later, but more financial trouble meant there was a change in ownership at the club last season.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Now, the owners, Jindal Football Pvt. Ltd, want to relocate to Delhi to build a sustainable and forward-looking football project.
Who's that IPL player?"Though our base of operations and long-term plans were always centred around New Delhi, the sudden and time-sensitive nature of the takeover compelled us to continue operating temporarily out of Hyderabad for the 2024–25 season," club CEO Dhruv Sood wrote in a recent email to the AIFF. "However, it was clearly understood and communicated during our discussions with both AIFF and FSDL that the club would be rebranded and relocated to Delhi following the conclusion of the season."
Once sanctioned by the AIFF and FSDL, Hyderabad are expected to undergo a complete transformation which includes rebranding, restructuring of administrative and technical departments, and the establishment of a new headquarters.
"The aim is to develop a professionally run football club that reflects the values and aspirations of a new generation of fans in Delhi and across India," said Dhruv.
While earlier bidding for a direct entry into the I-League, the group had said they "possess significant land in New Delhi, which we have earmarked for, and envision as, the centre of our operations and the future home of our football team and football in Delhi." The owners would also consider this area as a "potential stadium should no other better alternative arise."
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