The ongoing crisis in Indian football has deepened further, with Kerala Blasters FC becoming the latest club to suspend first-team operations following the All India Football Federation’s failure to secure a commercial partner for the Indian Super League.
The Kochi-based outfit had begun pre-season preparations ahead of the Super Cup, signing new foreign players and assembling the squad on the back of the AIFF’s assurances that the ISL would kick off in December. However, with the federation unable to attract a single bid for the league’s commercial rights despite extending the tender deadline to November 7, the club has now been forced to pause all footballing activities.
Kerala Blasters CEO Abhik Chatterjee, who has been part of the ISL ecosystem since its inception and has previously worked with Odisha FC and NorthEast United FC, expressed concern over the prevailing uncertainty in an exclusive statement to RevSportz.
“We are waiting to know if the ISL will take place this year. We are waiting for a commercial partner to step on board and we are waiting for the start date,” Chatterjee said. “We will resume training once we are aware of the above; otherwise, it will be like shooting in the dark. At the moment, all our resources are precious, and we need to be aware before expending anything.”
Chatterjee stressed that the club, like others, has acted in good faith based on the AIFF’s assurances. “We have written countless letters to the federation, and that was borne out of a desire to help stabilise the ecosystem,” he noted. “We were transparent and honest with KPMG when they consulted us before the tender and will continue to be available for any inputs needed. But we need to understand that the Super Cup participation was carried out believing in the roadmap, with the understanding that the league would start in December.”
Urging decisive action from the federation, the Blasters CEO added, “Right now, we need swift decision-making in the interest of the ecosystem. Otherwise, we are willingly drowning Indian football in waters we cannot swim in.”
Kerala Blasters’ decision mirrors that of reigning ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant and several other clubs, who have suspended operations amid growing doubts about the future of India’s top-tier football league. The AIFF is preparing to move the Supreme Court this week, seeking modifications to the existing constitutional framework governing the Indian Super League after its commercial rights tender failed to attract a single bid. Justice L Nageswara Rao, appointed by the apex court to oversee the AIFF’s functioning, met with senior officials on Sunday to discuss the crisis. The federation is expected to file its report before the court on Tuesday. But for now, the uncertainty surrounding the ISL continues to cast a long shadow over Indian football.
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