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Indian Super League faces turmoil as contracts of 150 footballers expire, AIFF standoff clouds 2026-27 season, Mohun Bagan Super Giant seek clarity.
Sandesh Jhingan is out of a contract currently (Picture credit: ISL)
In what has come as a renewed blow to Indian football, barely 11 days after the end of the 2025-26 season, contracts of almost 150 Indian Super League footballers have expired, including some who represent India on the international stage.
The contracts of these footballers expired on Sunday, May 31, adding to the uncertainty surrounding their futures as the standoff between the All India Football Federation and Indian Super League clubs continues over the status of next season’s competition.
The 2025-26 season was both delayed and shortened, with each of the 14 teams competing in a single round-robin format rather than the traditional home-and-away schedule.
The changes came after the Master Rights Agreement between the AIFF and its former commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited expired in December last year.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant, who finished as runners-up in the most recent season, are expected to seek clarity from the AIFF regarding the structure of the next Indian Super League campaign, including whether it will return to a full-fledged format or continue as a shortened competition similar to the 2025-26 season.
Mohun Bagan Super Giant will take a call on the budget for the new season and sign footballers accordingly.
“We will ask the AIFF how they will conduct ISL and make our budget accordingly,” a club source said while speaking to PTI.
A former official said that the footballers will be the worst sufferers, though the clubs will also be affected financially.
“It is a grim situation in the ISL and Indian football as a whole. The players will be the worst sufferers. Since they are free agents, their negotiating power is less and clubs are likely to quote a lower fee for them when they sign contracts,” the official said.
“In normal circumstances, players would have bargaining power but may not be in this current situation. The players are at a disadvantage and there is a chance of their exploitation,” the official added.
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