SC to decide ISL fate

After 11 ISL clubs send warning of shutdown, Supreme Court agrees to hear plea on AIFF-FSDL row over non-renewal of contracts of ISL clubs

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

The Supreme Court Monday agreed to hear on August 22 a matter involving a row between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and FSDL over the fate of 11 Indian Super League (ISL) clubs due to the non-renewal of their contracts with the national federation and the tournament's organisers.

The 11 ISL clubs have warned the AIFF that they "face the real possibility of shutting down entirely’ if the ongoing impasse regarding the future of the top-tier domestic competition is not resolved soon.

A bench of Justices PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar agreed to hear the plea after amicus curiae and senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan submitted that during the tenure of the contract, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) has to honour it by conducting the ISL.

“If it does not, the AIFF should be directed to terminate the contract and float a tender. Otherwise the players suffer and after repeated nonpayment, we can be sanctioned by the FIFA," Sankaranarayanan said.

"The bench said it would hear the matter Friday.

The clubs wrote a letter to AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey last week, saying the crisis arising out of the non-renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the national federation and the ISL organisers, FSDL, has "paralysed professional football in India".