All Indian Football Federation deadline for ISL format and venues today

Bengaluru: With some of the top-tier clubs sweating over financial conditions for the next month’s Indian Super League, including one club seeking further time before they agree to play for the much-delayed season, the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF) has given time till 12 pm on Monday to confirm. 

The deadline is also the same when all participating clubs have been asked to confirm their venues and format for the season, along with the deposit receipt of the participation fee for the season. 

In a letter to all the clubs, the AIFF reiterated that it will organise the ISL with a proposed budget of approximately Rs 24.26 crore, with an initial contribution of Rs 9.77 crore by the federation, while the clubs will contribute Rs 1 crore each. 

Earlier Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that the ISL will begin on February 14 while all 14 clubs have agreed to play in the tournament.

However, DH earlier reported that some of the clubs were strong-armed into agreeing the ‘take it or leave it’ offer.

One of the clubs, under its financial struggles, has yet to agree to play and is running against time to confirm while some of them are looking at cost-cutting measures to get through the season with commercial partners, including broadcasters, yet to be confirmed. 

This delayed the confirmation on the number of matches to be played this season (91 matches if all 14 clubs play in a single-leg home and away format), leading to further delay in AIFF’s plan for the season, including sending a letter to Asian football body (AFC) for exemption from playing the minimum number of matches in a season to qualify for continental events (earlier to be sent on January 7). 

AIFF, in its letter, has indicated that no further steps -- including the commercial partners -- are possible without the confirmation of the venues and format for the season.

Once the clubs confirm those, the body will start working on the fixtures, share the drafts of the framework for the governance of ISL; tender for a new commercial partner (to be published by January 14 and its onboarding by February 5).