- The ISL season remains uncertain due to unresolved issues between the AIFF and FSDL.
- Eight clubs, including Bengaluru FC and Odisha FC, have requested a meeting with AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey.
- Bengaluru FC have suspended salaries of their first-team players and staff, citing the lack of clarity.
- Odisha FC were the first to suspend contracts, with owner Rohan Sharma clarifying the club isn't shutting down.
Bengaluru FC, one of the Indian Super League (ISL) outfits, have suspended salaries of their players and support staff amid escalating uncertainty surrounding the domestic football season. The club made the announcement through social media, calling it a "difficult" but necessary step in light of the current situation.
The ISL season has been thrown into limbo due to unresolved differences between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the league’s commercial partners.
With no clarity on when or how the season will resume, clubs have been left in the dark. In response, the AIFF is expected to hold a meeting with CEOs of eight ISL clubs, after they raised concerns about the "current status and direction" of Indian football.
With no clarity on when or how the season will resume, clubs have been left in the dark. In response, the AIFF is expected to hold a meeting with CEOs of eight ISL clubs, after they raised concerns about the "current status and direction" of Indian football.
With frustration mounting, Bengaluru FC have become the latest club to take a hard call, suspending salaries of their first-team players and staff until further notice. Calling it a painful but necessary move, the club released a statement confirming the decision, while underlining the financial strain of operating in a vacuum.
"In view of the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Indian Super League season, Bengaluru Football Club has taken what is a very difficult decision of indefinitely suspending the salaries of players and staff belonging to the First Team. Running and sustaining a football club in India has always been an uphill climb, one that we have put everything aside and made, season after season," the statement read.
With the league stuck in limbo amid unresolved issues between AIFF and FSDL, the club said the lack of clarity had left them with no choice.
"However, the lack of clarity on the League's future leaves us with no choice but to take this step. The future and well-being of our players, staff, and their families is of utmost importance to us, and we are in touch with them as we wait for a resolution."
While senior players, including the recently retired Sunil Chhetri, are affected by the freeze, BFC made it clear that its grassroots programmes and youth operations will continue unaffected.
"The Club remains committed to growing and developing the sport and our operations with our youth teams – men and women, and BFC Soccer Schools remain unaffected by this decision. We urge the AIFF and FSDL to end this impasse swiftly. The uncertainty benefits no one, and a prompt resolution is vital for the future of Indian football," the club concluded.
Odisha FC were the first ISL club to suspend contracts of their players and staff amid the ongoing uncertainty over the league’s future. The club, who finished runners-up in the 2023–24 Super Cup and skipped this year’s Durand Cup, made the call as concerns mounted over the lack of direction from the league’s organisers.
Club owner Rohan Sharma took to social media to clarify that Odisha FC are not shutting down. He confirmed that some key staff remain with the club and that the women’s team will continue to operate as usual.
However, Sharma also admitted that it's becoming harder to convince investors to continue supporting the club without a clear picture of what lies ahead. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), he expressed hope that this step would push others to act more swiftly in resolving the crisis.
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