The All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) search for new commercial partners to run the Indian Super League (ISL) hit a major roadblock on Friday when no companies submitted bids. This crisis puts Indian football’s future at risk, with concerns about league delays and uncertainty over clubs’ and players’ futures.“No bids were received within the stipulated timeframe. The AIFF bid evaluation committee will convene over the weekend to review the situation and deliberate on the future course of action,” AIFF stated in a statement on Friday.The current deal with Reliance-subsidiary Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) ends on December 8. Who showed initial interest?While FSDL showed interest and asked questions about the tender, they didn’t submit a bid. Three other potential bidders – FanCode, RAAK Group, and a Monaco-based consortium – also backed out despite attending pre-bid meetings.The situation is particularly worrying as the league’s start has already been pushed back from September to December. There are now serious doubts about fitting in the required 24 home-and-away matches needed for continental licensing.AIFF’s tender demanded at least Rs 37.5 crore yearly or five percent of gross revenues, whichever is higher, for a 15-year period. The deal also included various other financial commitments for production, marketing, prize money, VAR implementation, and grassroots development.This unexpected turn of events has created uncertainty in Indian football, affecting everyone from top clubs to individual players.
