AIFF told to start ISL at earliest

PANAJI: A three-member co-ordination committee has asked the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to immediately declare commencement date for the Indian Super League (ISL) and “relegate those clubs who refuse to participate to the immediate lower division.”The panel has suggested Feb 15 as the start date for this edition of the top tier league with Jan 15 as deadline for clubs to submit 20-year agreements.The AIFF and 14 ISL clubs have held talks since August last year without a breakthrough, while the coordination committee has had five meetings in the last 10 days. Now, both parties appear to have made some headway with the federation agreeing to financially contribute towards organisation of the league, clubs getting time until June to pay this season’s franchise fee of Rs 1 crore and the freedom to refine the existing request for proposal (RFP), “making it more attractive for a commercial partner/broadcaster” to come on board.“AIFF should finalise the short-term competition format in consultation with the clubs, and in the absence of consensus, exercise its authority as league owner to finalise the format without permitting further delay or digression,” the panel said in its report which was submitted to AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey. “The committee hopes AIFF will take all necessary steps to safeguard the interests of footballers, clubs, and sports professionals, and ensure continuity and stability of Indian football.”The AIFF emergency committee met on Saturday to consider and acknowledge the report, “which recommended that the league be conducted by the federation.” Accordingly, the AIFF said in a statement, “we will conduct the league, and the date of commencement will be announced next week.”According to sources, while the panel has recommended that AIFF should bear the cost of refereeing and broadcast production for this season’s ISL, the federation will contribute Rs 5 crore – or 12.5% of the total cost of organising the league in a single leg at a centralised venue – towards operational expenses and leave it up to the clubs to decide on broadcast production.Clubs will lead discussions and negotiations regarding commercial matters and provide inputs that will be incorporated in the RFP for a commercial partner and broadcaster.“The AIFF is making it easier for the clubs to accept the latest proposal,” a senior official told TOI. “Most of the demands have been accepted. We’ve agreed on a deferred entry fee since there is revenue shortfall in sponsorship and broadcasting.”The three-member AIFF-ISL coordination committee comprised Kerala Football Association president Navas Meeran, Goa Football Association president Caitano Fernandes and Indian Football Association secretary Anirban Dutta, with AIFF deputy secretary general M. Satyanarayan as the ex-officio member.