ISL to go ahead with all 14 clubs, cutting costs the primary objective now

New Delhi: All 14 first division clubs have confirmed their intention to play the much-delayed 2025-26 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) on Monday. Some clubs have been clear that they want to get the ball rolling while others have sought clarity on finances from the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

On January 6, all clubs had verbally agreed to play the truncated league, although at least six had asked for conditional support to go ahead. The clubs wanted a complete waiver of Rs 1 crore participation fee and government support in reduced costs to host games.



"We are standing our ground saying, 'Yes we will participate as we committed to the government. But we need more clarity from you, from the AIFF," said a club official to TimesofIndia.com.

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"Easier way to say it is that our participation is confirmed (in the ISL), if certain conditions are met," added the official before clarifying that they need commitments to be made over the financial aspects of the league.

As the deadline to confirm their home venues came on Monday, all clubs confirmed their participation to the AIFF, including Odisha FC who had sought further time to deliberate.

Odisha FC had suspended first team operations in August 2025, and pulled out of Durand Cup and Super Cup. They had sought a long-term financial roadmap before committing to play.

The objective for clubs will now be on cutting costs. With 91 games to be played in the season in a single-leg home and away format, ISL will begin on February 14 and would end before May 31.

Of the Rs 24.26 crore budget allocated for the 2025-26 season, the clubs will foot Rs 1 crore each as participation fee, AIFF will contribute Rs 9.77 crore and the remaining expenses will be come from federation's resources on an ongoing basis.

As a result, the clubs will pay the participation fee, the logistics, for the venues, player wages among other things. The returns, in comparison to previous years, will be lower with broadcast revenue alone amounting to Rs 275 crore per season - something that won't be as substantial this time.

"Which is why we've all questioned the participation fee and said that ideally it should be lesser if not charged at all. But I think it's also a new model that everyone's trying to work out and experiment, right?," reasoned an ISL club official.

One significant outlay for ISL clubs over the years has been on salaries. One player agent confirmed that some clubs have reached out to players and asked them to take a pay cut now that the revenues will be lower.

The agent explained that the clubs cannot force pay cuts on players since they are contract bound. If a club does look to force their way, a player can take the legal route. In case the players do accept the proposals of reduced wages, a new contract will be drawn.

At this stage, not every ISL club is looking at reduced player wages as first option. With season shortened, logistical costs will be reduced and resources will be utilised differently to prepare home venues.

"There were certain standards which were set by the ISL. There were certain norms that we used to follow, there were certain criteria's which we used to follow, certain kind of basic parameters. It could be a difference of almost 20 to 30 percent in cost, resource management type, resource utilization (now)," said another ISL club official who wished to not be named.

"So that would obviously ... we'll try to see where we can curtail without compromising on any kind of safety or any of those things. But yeah, maybe the glamour quotient will come down," he added.

Some clubs are okay to bite the bullet to get the league underway in the first place. Newly promoted Inter Kashi are one who have agreed to play all their games on the road since their home stadium in Varanasi would only be operational around Diwali.

"I think the most important part is that in our country, since the last 6 months, football had come to a stop. Now, football is going to start. And there will be football. Let us focus on the football," said Prithijit Das, President of Inter Kashi.

"What is the production cost, who is the sponsor, what difference does it make? If you play a game, that game is starting, that is the biggest thing. At the end of the season, we can have a discussion on what was bad, what was good. But first, there should be a season. We were thinking there won't be a season at all," he added.

His views were echoed by another club chief who were one of the firsts to confirm participation in the 2025-26 ISL.


"Our biggest (goal) was that football should happen. We were anyway not making profits and this was not going to make you profitable anyway. If there is a gap year, Indian football will go to the dogs! All the effort that you've put in so far, would have gone for a toss.

"Today it is more about being alive than sustainability in time to come. Going by the circumstances, we were more for football and that's what we were pushing for."

The immediate next steps for AIFF will be finalising a shortened calendar, getting an exemption from AFC related to ACL 2 slot and finding commercial and broadcast partners.