ISL is back, but will a truncated season open a can of worms?

Football fans might breathe a sigh of relief over the fact that the Indian Super League (ISL) is finally set to take off after months of uncertainty.

But there is more to it than meets the eye in the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) decision to have a truncated season.

Conducting the top flight football league of a country at such a short notice is likely to throw up more questions than providing answers.

With uncertainty over the ISL continuing for long, most of the overseas players of the franchises would have gone in search of greener pastures and that will have a telling impact once the action starts unfolding on the football field on February 14.

As per AIFF's decision which was conveyed to the press through country's Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the top-tier league of the country is expected to have 91 matches based on a single leg format, the logistics of which are still being worked out.

That throws open the big question as to where the marquee fixtures — say like the Bengaluru FC (BFC) vs Kerala Blasters or the Southern derby between BFC and Chennaiyin FC will be held and what criteria will be followed while allotting the venues.

There was reportedly a proposal to have the matches at single venue (Goa), but due to logistical reasons it has been put on the back burner.

Though Mandaviya categorically announced that all 14 clubs will participate in the truncated ISL, it is believed that a few of them were forced to agree due to external pressure.

With the AIFF still unable to find a new commercial partner, there is no denying the fact that the franchises are going to struggle financially.

As per the revised guidelines, the ISL clubs are required to share 60 per cent of the financial cost for the league to start after a nearly six months long pause. The total cost for the upcoming season has been pegged at Rs 25 crore by the AIFF.

BFC owner Parth Jindal was candid while admitting that the players will have to 'make sacrifices' in view of the 'financial burden' the clubs will have shoulder.

"Tremendous sacrifice from all clubs is being asked for to play the ISL in its current format. Repercussions if we don't have a league are very worrying. Truly hope the players understand the additional financial burden on the clubs and agree to also sacrifice as we are all in this together. We are in this for the love of football and to see our country play the beautiful game and be good at it,", Jindal said in a post on 'X'.

The BFC owner was candid while admitting that just like some other clubs, the Bengaluru-based franchise has been a incurring losses since joining the ISL and said the club may have to wind up its operations if players do not co-operate.

"@bengalurufc football has been a loss making proposition for all since I can remember - this year's numbers without the players helping out will force many to shut shop for good," he added in the tweet which was reposted by FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur.

With the country's football facing a bleak future, many big names like Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandhesh Jhingan had even called on the game's global governing body's (FIFA) for help.

If the top flight football of the country had not been held, AIFF would have invited the wrath of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and a possible repercussions included a ban.

With the ISL 2025 winner getting to play only 12-13 league matches, there is no clarity if they would earn a direct berth to AFC Champions League as the game's continental governing body has clearly set some guidelines as to how many matches a team has to play to earn the ticket to the premier club competition in Asian football.

With the country's second tier — I League — also set to start around the same time, the doubts over whether there will be promotion-relegation based league will remain despite AIFF's assurance that they will approach the court for an exception this season.

The immediate challenge for AIFF would be to find a commercial partner and ensure financial stability.

For now the AIFF and the mandarins who are responsible have done a hotchpotch arrangement by deciding to hold a truncated ISL season in the name of preventing Indian football from slipping into a state of 'inertia', but their action is very likely to open a Pandora's box in the days to come.