AIFF to Meet These ISL Clubs and CEOs over Future of ISL

Indian Football is hitting new lows day by day, whether it's Xavi's fake national team coach application, poor performance on the pitch by the men's national team, or the ongoing uncertainties related to the Indian Super League. All these events in the last few months have crumbled the reputation of Indian Football on the world stage. However, with the recent signing of Khalid Jamal as the head coach of the Indian National Football Team, it looks like the pressure from the fans and concerned ones has finally made the operators of the 'Sleeping Giant" work again. The next task on the to-do list for the AIFF officials is to resolve the issue related to ISL and FSDL. The situation that halted the Indian Super League occurred after the Supreme Court of India delayed AIFF's new rules. This has left ISL clubs in a total mess. Bengaluru FC have stopped paying players and staff because of the ongoing rift between the AIFF and FSDL. Other clubs like Jamshedpur FC, FC Goa, Hyderabad FC, and others have stopped their training due to the same reason mentioned above. Additionally, some clubs from the previously mentioned have withdrawn from the prestigious Durand Cup. Claims like the 2047 vision to make Indian Football one of the greatest in Asia look foggy as the main structure and administration are still in question. These disputes and chaos have delayed everything that was planned for the club. However, a small positive step towards a brighter tomorrow has been taken by AIFF by calling a meeting with the CEOs of 8 ISL clubs. The AIFF meeting scheduled on 7th August will have the main agenda of bringing Indian Football back on track.

What to Expect from the AIFF Meeting?

The AIFF meeting with 8 CEOs from different Indian Super League clubs is considered a positive move amidst all the chaos that has been happening in the Indian Football Circuit over the last few months. The AIFF ISL Clubs meet is expected to be chaired by the President of AIFF and Kalyan Chaubey. AIFF have officially invited Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC, Chennaiyin FC, East Bengal, and Mohammedan SC to the AIFF–ISL Clubs CEOs meeting in New Delhi on Thursday. The main agenda of the meeting will be to inform the respected CEOs about the ongoing case and what is the future of ISL. As ISL clubs want a clear answer on the controversy and IS Future, which has hampered the finances of clubs and players. The CEOs of ISL clubs may also demand financial help from the All India Football Federation, as the current delay is hampering their financial reports. On the other hand, AIFF may talk about the youth programs and other grassroots-level developments. With players like Suni Chhetri worried about the future the Indian Football, AIFF must step up and needs to show it can work with clubs to keep Indian Football moving forward towards the Vision 20247. The AIFF meeting has high expectations from the responsible officials. It will be interesting to see how effective this AIFF meeting proves to be for Indian football.