New Delhi: Union Sports Minister Mansakh Mandaviya assured on Monday Indian Super League (ISL) clubs that will proceed as planned for the upcoming 2026-27 season. But in a major development, the club’s proposal has been finalized for the next four years. Under the new structure, clubs will pay Rs 1.1 crore each which comes to Rs 15.4 crore if all 14 teams play.The proposed meeting, without an agenda, was held last week at the SAI office in New Delhi. This comes at a time when the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and ISL clubs are deadlocked over the long-term vision of the game in the country. While the AIFF is looking to appoint Genius Sports as a commercial partner, the teams have proposed a club-led model.Mandaviya met the ISL clubs, AIFF officials and former AIFF president Praful Patel, who is currently the head of the Western India Football Association, to broker a peace and suggest a way forward.In the latest proposal, the ISL clubs have suggested a two-year club-led model in which the AIFF gets Rs 15 crore annually. This is more than the Rs 12.4 crore that the national federation would get if it goes with the 15+5 year Genius Sports-led commercial model.It is worth noting that AIFF received Rs 50 crore from FSDL, the first commercial partner of the league. After Genius Sports’ administration fee, the federation hopes to collect the entry fee from the clubs. The proposal has been strongly opposed by the clubs.During the meeting, the clubs also requested government intervention on stadium rent and fees, which remain a challenge for the clubs.The men’s football season will run from June 1 to May 31, 2027 as per the calendar proposed by the AIFF.
