new delhi: Indian Super League (ISL) clubs on Friday formally proposed a fundamental restructuring of the country’s top-tier professional football league, seeking perpetual operational and commercial rights for a club-owned league model while retaining the All India Football Federation (AIFF) as the sport’s regulator.
The proposal was submitted on the final day of the deadline given to ISL clubs to present a plan for the formation of a consortium to run the league, the 2025-26 season of which is yet to commence.
“...we write to formally place before the All India Football Federation (AIFF), and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (Ministry), a detailed proposal for restructuring the ownership, governance, and operational framework of India’s top-tier professional football league,” the clubs said in a joint letter addressed to the Sports Ministry and AIFF.
“This proposal is guided by the shared objective of safeguarding continuity of elite football in India, strengthening institutional governance, ensuring long-term financial sustainability of the league, aligning with globally accepted best practices, and enabling AIFF to focus more effectively on its core mandate of regulation, governance, grassroots development, and national team excellence.”
The proposal comes amid uncertainty surrounding Indian football, with governance challenges, the expiry of commercial agreements and ongoing proceedings before the Supreme Court concerning amendments to the AIFF constitution.
The clubs proposed that “AIFF grant the rights to operate, manage, and commercially exploit India’s top-tier professional football league to a dedicated league company (League Company) in perpetuity, subject to continued compliance with AIFF, AFC, and FIFA statutes and regulations.”
“The League Company shall be structured such that: The participating Clubs shall collectively hold a permanent majority shareholding; AIFF shall hold one special share, safeguarding sporting integrity, regulatory authority, and statutory compliance.”
“The Clubs shall have the flexibility to induct a commercial or strategic partner at the league level, provided always that the Clubs, individually and collectively, retain majority ownership and voting control.”
“Notwithstanding any dilution undertaken to induct a commercial partner, the Clubs shall at all times remain the majority shareholders of the League Company” and “To further institutionalise AIFF’s involvement in league governance.”
It further proposed that the federation “shall have the perpetual right to nominate one director on the Board of the League Company”. Under the framework, AIFF’s role would be confined to regulatory and governance functions.