Top football clubs unwilling to share financial burden

PANAJI: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has given clubs 24 hours to confirm their participation and the preferred format for this season’s Indian Super League (ISL).

According to sources, the clubs will respond to AIFF before Thursday’s deadline but at least eight of them will seek additional details pertaining to finances.

Without a commercial partner, the toptier clubs are not ready to share added financial burden.

“Why should the clubs pay for everything,” asked one official. “The AIFF owns the league but has not yet committed to any financial contribution. The clubs should not solely shoulder the responsibility, particularly at a time when we will not have central revenue share and even sponsorships.”

The AIFF’s three-member ISL coordination committee has had five meetings with clubs since last week but there is no confirmation on either the format or whether all 14 of them will take part when the league kicks off next month.

“AIFF is required to submit the outcome of these meetings to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports before Jan 2,” AIFF’s deputy secretary general M Satyanarayan wrote in a letter to club CEOs on Wednesday.

The federation has given clubs time till Jan 1 to “confirm participation.”

For India to earn an Asian spot, all clubs must play atleast 24 league matches in a season.

There’s no time now for a fullfledged league since player contracts, and the season, officially ends May 31.