New Delhi: The delayed Indian Super League will kick off on February 14 after all 14 football clubs confirmed participation, officials said Wednesday. The ISL, India’s flagship football competition, is usually played between September and April.
It faced uncertainty because a commercial rights agreement between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited, which operated the ISL, expired on December 9, leaving the league without a sponsor.
Some clubs, including reigning champions Mohun Bagan, halted player salaries and suspended football activities in December. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) plans to take over the running of the ISL from the 2025-26 season under a 20-year proposal sent to clubs, according to local media reports.
“Many clubs had agreed earlier, but the remaining few came on board on Tuesday,” an AIFF source told AFP on condition of anonymity. Talks are continuing to finalise a home-and-away format for a 91-match season after sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya announced last week that all 14 clubs would compete. Launched in 2014 with global stars such as Italy’s Alessandro Del Piero, the franchise-based ISL aimed to give Indian football a glamorous reboot. But television ratings have slumped and sponsor interest has waned.
