Kolkata, June 20 (IANS) Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia spoke regarding the future of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2025 after the future of the league remains in the air due to the Master Rights Agreement, which expires in December.

On Thursday, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) released its 2025-26 competition calendar with no mention of the country’s premier football league. This omission has raised eyebrows across the Indian football ecosystem, with clubs, players, and fans left speculating about what comes next.

An AIFF source, speaking to IANS, confirmed that the ISL has not been included in the federation’s calendar because its organisers, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), have yet to provide a schedule.

The uncertainty stems from the fact that the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between AIFF and FSDL — the Reliance-Star joint venture that operates the ISL — is set to expire in December 2025. As of now, the agreement has not been renewed, and no concrete resolution has emerged from the discussions initiated earlier this year.

“There were some reports that stated that I had stopped the deal (Between AIFF and FSDL), I did not know I was that powerful. During the meeting, I had asked the Federation what their proposed deal was with FSDL. They did not have an answer; basically, they ate snacks, listened to their offer, and came back. They did not make any offer of their own.

“Now the court has ordered that the deal will only be made after the Supreme Court case regarding the AIFF constitution. From the Federation, FSDL, to the ISL and I-League clubs, all focus should be on Indian football,” said Bhaichung at a press conference.

In April, the AIFF Executive Committee established an eight-member task force to examine the future of the MRA.

Adding to the complications is the pending Supreme Court verdict on the revised AIFF Constitution, which has created further administrative gridlock.

“If you are saying that the ISL not taking place is a disaster, my question is whether the past one-and-a-half years have not been a disaster? If we have a new professional coming in (as president) and he could get a good deal and hopefully a win-win situation for Indian football. If it takes some time, that won’t be good, but it’s better than rushing into such stuff,” he added.

Bhaichung also pointed out a deal, which he believes to have ‘taken place under the table’, which led to India withdrawing their bid to host the AFC Asian Cup in 2027. The former India skipper asked for this particular meeting to be investigated.

“There has been so much negative spotlight on the AIFF under Kalyan Chaubey, which has damaged the reputation. We have put in a bid for the 2031 Asian Cup. We earlier wanted to host the 2027 Asian Cup, but he went to Saudi Arabia, and god knows what under-the-table deal he has made, but Saudi Arabia will now host the 2027 edition, whereas he comes back to announce that Saudi Arabia will host the Santosh Trophy. That deal needs to be investigated,” Bhaichung pointed out.

–IANS

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