All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey on Thursday (July 24, 2025) assured that the Indian Super League (ISL), which has been put on maintain in the intervening time, will likely be held this season, although he didn’t specify on a begin date of the top-tier home competitors.
He additionally mentioned {that a} new head coach of the Indian males’s senior soccer group will likely be appointed inside the subsequent 10 days after the technical committee despatched three shortlisted candidates to the AIFF government committee on Wednesday to decide from.
(*10*) Chaubey advised PTI on the sidelines of a press convention hosted by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
“If the league doesn’t take place, it is not only footballers but the people who are associated with football will be affected. It’s thousands of people who will be affected. So, we will put our best effort to ensure that the league happens,” mentioned Chaubey who can be a joint secretary of the IOA.
MRA points
On July 11, ISL organisers FSDL introduced that it has put the 2025-26 season “on hold” due to the uncertainty surrounding the renewal of Master Rights Agreement (MRA) signed with the AIFF in 2010.
ISL usually runs from September to April, and the present MRA between Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which organises the occasion, and the AIFF is scheduled to expire on December 8, 2025, by which period the ISL could be into its third month.
Following a directive from the Supreme Court, the AIFF has been requested not to negotiate new phrases of the MRA with (FSDL), the apex governing physique’s business accomplice operating the ISL, till a last judgment is delivered in the AIFF draft structure case.
The Supreme Court could pronounce its judgment quickly.
“I am not saying it (ISL) will be delayed, we don’t know when the decision is coming. And so as and when it comes, definitely the AIFF will take a call, sit with all the stakeholders and ensure that how smoothly these tournaments, including ISL, can be conducted.”
Head coach to be introduced quickly
On the appointment of the national group head coach to succeed Manolo Marquez who mutually parted methods with the AIFF earlier this month, Chaubey mentioned, “I think 10 days from now, if all goes smoothly.
“We will maintain government committee assembly and thereafter the title of the head coach will likely be introduced,” he mentioned.
The experienced Anglo-Cypriot Stephen Constantine, Stefan Tarkovic of Slovakia and home-bred Khalid Jamil were among three candidates shortlisted on Wednesday by the technical committee of the AIFF.
Out of the three, Jamil appeared to be the frontrunner to get the job.
The AIFF had invited applications for the top job on July 4 with July 13 as the deadline. It received 170 applications, which included big names like former Liverpool stars Robbie Fowler and Harry Kewell.
