Ten I-League clubs wrote to the amicus curiae of the AIFF constitution case, which is pending in the Supreme Court, on Sunday, requesting promotion and relegation in the next season of the Indian Super League.
According to a report from Sportstar, the clubs in a letter to senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan and advocate Samar Bansal have written, “We may mention that we are not parties before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in this ongoing litigation, but remain acutely affected by it,”
“As things stand, the AIFF’s inability to sign a new Master Rights Agreement (MRA) with FSDL Football Sports Development Limited has led to a virtual suspension of all leagues below ISL as well,” the 10 sides wrote.
“Due to the pending court case, the undersigned clubs have not received any engagement from the AIFF.
“This information asymmetry is creating significant difficulties, which include but are not limited to playing calendar, fixture finalization, venue confirmation, broadcasting, and production costs, sports technology investments, club entry fees, subsidy structures, and budget provisioning, prize money structure and league composition,” the clubs wrote.
Secondly, the clubs warned against the ISL becoming a ‘closed league’. Earlier in March, FSDL had proposed a draft for a fresh MRA that involved a 10-year moratorium on promotion/relegation from ISL to lower tiers.
The 10 clubs are Aizawl FC, Namdhari FC, Rajasthan United, Dempo SC, Gokulam Kerala, Real Kashmir, Sreenidi Deccan, and Shillong Lajong. They are the I-League sides from last season, while Diamond Harbor FC and Chanmari FC have been promoted through I-League-2.
The current MRA between AIFF and FSDL runs out in December 2025, and the Supreme Court has directed the two parties to find a solution for a future agreement.
The lack of a solution about a future MRA has put this season’s ISL ‘on hold’ — officially on July 11 — and has spiraled into the I-League’s plans for the 2025-26 campaign.
The letter added, “We request you to consider putting forth our point of view before the Honorable Supreme Court in the same manner as you have done on 22nd August, 2025, on behalf of the ISL clubs.”
The top two — champion Inter Kashi and runner-up Churchill Brothers — and the bottom two — Sporting Club Bengaluru and Delhi FC – in I-League’s previous season did not feature in the letter.
