AIFF reveals 21-year vision to align ISL, I-League with global standard

NEW DELHI: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has laid out an extensive 21-year plan to develop Indian football, which includes reflecting the best footballing practices from around the world through a global governing structure for club leagues in India.The charter, shared with the 14 Indian Super League (ISL) clubs on Tuesday, establishes two powerful bodies — a Governing Council and a Management Committee — to oversee the regulatory and operational functioning of the ISL and I-League.

The Governing Council will be the highest authority overseeing the success of the ISL and I-League. This 22-member body serves as the league’s highest supervisor. It includes all 14 ISL club owners, three AIFF office bearers, and two independent experts with no commercial ties to the sport. Meeting once a year, this council will hold the final say on finances and major policy shifts.




The Management Committee will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of each league with a focus on executing the league's visions outlined by the Governing Council, as well as developing new revenue streams.

Chaired by the AIFF secretary-general, this 11-member group focuses on the "smooth functioning" of the league. It features a rotational lineup of five ISL club CEOs — including those from the previous season’s winners and runners-up — alongside AIFF officials and commercial partners.

"It's a roadmap for the next 21 years about how the country's top two leagues are going to be managed, administrated, promoted and developed by these two bodies.

"We have taken references from some of the top leagues of the world and proposed to implement the global best practices into India's top two football leagues," AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey told PTI.

As part of the AIFF's efforts to solidify long-term partnerships, they are reserving 3 seats in both the Governing Council and Management Committees for "potential commercial rights partners," indicating their willingness to explore new partnership opportunities.

"We have done a thorough study on how some of the best football leagues are run, we have followed their structures before framing these policies," Chaubey said.



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