AIFF unveils club-led commercial model for ISL

New Delhi: The All India Football Federation and the Managing Committee of the Indian Super League on Wednesday announced a major restructuring of the league's governance, with clubs set to assume commercial rights while the AIFF retains administrative control and oversight of key operational functions.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference attended by AIFF Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan, AIFF Head of Competitions Akshay Rohatgi, FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur, NorthEast United FC CEO Mandar Tamhane, and Sporting Club Delhi CEO Dhruv Sood.

The new framework marks a shift towards a club-led commercial model, aligning the ISL with governance structures followed by several leading football leagues worldwide.

“From our side, we are very committed to making this league one of the best in Asia," said Satyanarayan.

"We are also keeping in mind the recent Supreme Court’s order and the new National Sports Governance Act."

Sood concurred, "In SC Delhi's first season, the Ministry did come forward and offered their full support to the league, with regard to the availability of stadiums. The AIFF also did their best to reduce the cost of the league”.

Expanding on the new season, Tamhane said, "It will be a broadcast-driven model. We are moving towards a club-led model because both the clubs and the AIFF believe it is the right approach from the perspective of long-term commercial and financial sustainability."

Next, the Clubs/Managing Committee will issue an RFP (Request for Proposal) to secure a broadcast partner and work on sponsorships. The AIFF will send a letter to all 14 clubs asking them to confirm their participation. The 2026-27 season will be held in a home-and-away format.

AIFF Deputy Secy General M Satyanarayan

"We will have a full-fledged season 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," said Puskur.

The league calendar will be planned around the FIFA Men's International Match Windows (scheduled for September, October, November and March) and the AFC club competition schedules to ensure the best possible preparations for the national team as well as the participating clubs (FC Goa and East Bengal FC) in continental competitions.

Touching upon the topic of release of players for the national team by the clubs, Satyanarayan said, "We have already had several rounds of discussions with the clubs and requested them to release players for a longer period for the ‘National Interest.’ The earlier we move forward with the process, the better we can plan the scheduling. We are hopeful this will happen with the cooperation from the clubs, particularly as the league is now being run jointly by the clubs and the AIFF."

Tags : AIFF, Football, Satyanarayan, Indian Super League, ISL