AIFF, ISL End Standoff, Sign Four-Year Roadmap For Club-Led Future: Report

Published 8 July 2026 · india

AIFF, ISL End Standoff, Sign Four-Year Roadmap For Club-Led Future: Report Published By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 16:34 IST AIFF and ISL sign 4-year

AIFF, ISL End Standoff, Sign Four-Year Roadmap For Club-Led Future: Report Published By, Last Updated: July 08, 2026, 16:34 IST AIFF and ISL sign 4-year roadmap for club-led Indian football future. New SPV to oversee commercial operations, AIFF gets 10% net profits. Rapid Read AIFF Logo - Representational Image The All India Football Federation and the Indian Super League have signed a four-year roadmap for a club-led future for Indian football, according to a report in The Times of India. Under the proposal, a Special Purpose Vehicle will be established to oversee the commercial operations of the ISL. If all 14 clubs come on board, the AIFF will receive Rs 15.4 crore as an administrative fee, in addition to a 10% share of the league’s net profits.

As per the report, the ISL clubs and the AIFF have reached an agreement on the three key sticking points in the negotiations: independent auditing of the SPV, the federation’s 10% share of net profits and the inclusion of a termination clause. As the national governing body, the AIFF will oversee refereeing, legal compliance, integrity and anti-doping operations. In addition to the Rs 1.1 crore contribution in the first year, the ISL clubs will pay Rs 1.15 crore, Rs 1.2 crore and Rs 1.25 crore over the next three years. “ISL will be a commercially club-led model. A letter will be sent to all 14 teams asking them to pay the participation fees. Based on their responses, a decision will be made on how the league will proceed," M Satyanarayanan, AIFF Deputy General Secretary, was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

“We are planning this as a four-year model. After two years, the clubs can decide whether they want to exit the model or continue. However, given the way things are progressing, it will probably not happen," Satyanarayanan added. The AIFF had stopped short of endorsing the club-led model when it was proposed two months ago. But its stance shifted after a meeting with Mansukh Mandaviya last month. “The AIFF has never stated that we are averse to a club-led model. Earlier, there was an MRA (Master Rights Agreement) partner who was running the league. And then there was a Supreme Court decision which said that AIFF has to own and operate the league," Satyanarayanan said. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: July 08, 2026, 16:34 IST News sports football AIFF, ISL End Standoff, Sign Four-Year Roadmap For Club-Led Future: Report Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s.