Sreenidi Deccan has sent a letter to the All India Football Federation, expressing its desire to join the country’s top-tier league, the ISL. In their appeal letter to the AIFF, the club also revealed its intention to withdraw from the elite I-League. The club mentioned that it is already in preliminary talks with relevant stakeholders such as league officials, club management, and potential commercial partners regarding this move.

Sreenidi focuses on youth football through its fully operational academy. They have sought permission for their reserve side to play in I-League 3, having become eligible by winning the A division in Telangana.

Through a letter addressed to the AIFF’s league committee on 22nd August, the Hyderabad-based club has said that they view I-League-3 as an important platform for the development of their footballers.

“At the same time, we wish to convey that our first team is not being considered for participation in the I-League. Consistent with our long-term vision and ongoing strategic planning, we are preparing for our senior squad to compete at the Tier-1 level and are presently engaged in discussions with the relevant stakeholders—including league administrators, commercial partners, and management—in this regard,” it was written in the letter signed by Sreenidi’s technical director Fabio Ferreira.

The letter was revealed during an emergency executive committee meeting on Saturday, which was called to discuss the tendering process for the top-flight Indian Super League, as per the Supreme Court’s directive.

As the letter says, they are in touch with stakeholders. Who are these stakeholders? We need to understand that first,” an AIFF official divulged while speaking to News9 Sports.

Founded in 2015 as an academy which was launched in Visakhapatnam, Sreenidi bid for direct entry into the I-League in June 2020 and two months later were granted playing rights for its 2021-22 edition of the I-League. They finished ninth in the 2024-25 standings with 28 points from 22 matches.