'Leagues need to be completed on or before 31st of May. So we have to ensure that the beginning of the league is according to that calculation.'
All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey on Friday said the governing body has been working in a "dedicated" manner to start this season's Indian Super League (ISL), currently on hold due to uncertainty surrounding the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL).
"We are trying to be dedicated, determined and focused. We will ensure that certain things will be done. Leagues need to be completed on or before 31st of May. So we have to ensure that the beginning of the league is according to that calculation.
"To play in the ISL continental event, the teams need to play 24 matches, minimum and to make this possible, you have to come up with a new structure, and get a commercial partner. To get a commercial partner, you need to follow the process in a transparent way.
"So, there are many things that need to be done. I believe that fortune favours the brave. God willing, we will start and end the league at the right time," said Chaubey.
To ensure the timely commencement of the football calendar in the country and to maintain competitive continuity, the AIFF and the FSDL had agreed that the 2025–26 season may begin with the Super Cup or another domestic competition directly under the control of the national federation, after an adequate pre-season period.
"The Super Cup, being a domestic tournament open to clubs across multiple tiers ensures that the players and clubs remain competitively engaged pending the commencement of the league season," the resolution said.
The idea of holding Super Cup as season opener to give competitive matches to the players was first mooted in a meeting between the AIFF and 13 ISL clubs in Delhi on August 7.
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