New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the Indian Super League (ISL) Managing Committee on Wednesday announced a significant restructuring of the league’s operational framework, with the clubs set to assume control of the competition’s commercial rights while the national federation retains administrative oversight and regulatory responsibilities.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference attended by AIFF Deputy Secretary General M. Satyanarayan, Head of Competitions Akshay Rohatgi, FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur, NorthEast United FC CEO Mandar Tamhane and Sporting Club Delhi CEO Dhruv Sood.
Under the new structure, the ISL will transition to a club-led commercial model, with the Managing Committee taking charge of broadcasting and sponsorship rights, while the AIFF continues to oversee the league’s governance and key operational matters.
“From our side, we are very committed to making this league one of the best in Asia. We are also keeping in mind the recent Supreme Court’s order and the new National Sports Governance Act,” Satyanarayan said.
The next step in the process will see the Managing Committee issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to appoint a broadcast partner and begin securing commercial sponsorships. Meanwhile, the AIFF will write to all 14 participating clubs seeking confirmation of their participation in the 2026-27 campaign.
FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur said,“We will have a full-fledged season this time where every team will play their respective home and away games in a full quota rather than having to play a truncated format. We look forward to working collectively with the AIFF to try and ensure that the league is as successful as it can be.” The league calendar will be aligned with FIFA international match windows in September, October, November and March, while also accommodating the AFC club competition commitments of Indian representatives FC Goa and East Bengal. (IANS)
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