Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya took charge of the ongoing chaos in Indian football, holding marathon meetings with AIFF officials, club representatives, and prospective commercial partners to address financial and structural issues plaguing the sport.
The meetings, held on Wednesday, included AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, representatives of ISL and I-League clubs, FSDL, and platforms like Fancode. Mandaviya questioned why Indian football has reached a point where commercial partners are reluctant to invest and grilled officials on leadership and management lapses.
Key Issues Raised:
Lack of grassroots development, limiting player and club growth.
The staggered growth of ISL and I-League clubs; smaller clubs struggling financially.
FSDL cited financial non-viability of Indian football despite annual support of Rs 2 crore per ISL franchise.
Prospective bidders expressed concerns over the ISL commercial rights tender, which failed to attract any takers.
I-League representatives, including Ranjit Bajaj (Delhi FC), suggested a unified league to help smaller clubs grow alongside big clubs and promote football in smaller towns.
The minister listened to all sides and assured that a plan to resolve the stalemate would be announced in the coming days. The crisis escalated after FSDL put the ISL on hold due to the impending expiry of the 15-year Master Rights Agreement on December 8, with Justice Nageswara Rao overseeing the search for a new commercial partner.
A ministry source said, “The stalemate will not continue for long. The way forward will be decided soon.”
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