Mandaviya Meets Football Stakeholders as India’s Domestic Season Remains in Deadlock

India’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya, convened a crucial meeting on Wednesday with all major stakeholders of Indian football in an effort to break the ongoing deadlock surrounding the men’s domestic season. The gathering brought together representatives from leagues, clubs and the All India Football Federation (AIFF), as uncertainty continues over the start dates of the Indian Super League (ISL), I-League and I-League 2.

According to an official who attended the meeting, the discussion was productive and comprehensive. “The meeting was quite a fruitful one. The Ministry noted down all the suggestions and assured us that it will be looked into on priority,” the official told Sportstar. He added that the meeting acted as a continuation of the points raised in the earlier interaction with the AIFF on November 18. “We are expecting a solution from the Ministry in a few days.”

The domestic calendar has reached an unprecedented halt this season, with no confirmations for the top three tiers of Indian football. Central to the crisis is the expiration of the Master’s Rights Agreement between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), set to conclude this month. The federation’s Request for Proposal for a new commercial partner has yet to attract bidders, raising concerns about the financial sustainability of the competitions.

During the meeting, Mandaviya questioned AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey about the deteriorating commercial situation. Chaubey indicated that reducing the Annual Minimum Guarantee of ₹37.5 crore might be necessary to ensure the league begins soon. Alongside this, two alternative commercial models were presented. 

One suggested a league fully owned by the clubs with the AIFF holding a special share, echoing the structure of the Premier League. However, several legacy clubs opposed this idea. The second model revisited a proposal previously submitted by FSDL in March 2025, which involved restructured ownership favouring ISL clubs and included a 10-year moratorium on promotion and relegation.

I-League clubs, meanwhile, stressed their preference for a single commercial partner across all three divisions, provided that broadcasting access and promotion-relegation mechanisms for lower leagues are protected.

With the ISL usually kicking off in September and the I-League originally scheduled for an October 19 start, time is quickly running out. The Ministry is expected to announce a resolution within the next week. Any further delay could result in India missing an entire season of men’s domestic league football for the first time since 1996.