Picture : @IndianFootball/X
The I-League, the country’s second-tier football competition, will be restructured and rechristened as Indian Football League (IFL), with the clubs becoming majority stakeholders in the venture from the upcoming season, beginning on February 21.
A decision to rechristen the I-League was taken during a meeting of the club representatives and All India Football Federation (AIFF) officials. It was later announced during a press conference in New Delhi.
The AIFF’s Executive Committee is yet to approve the decision though it is just a formality.
“We have decided in today’s meeting that the I-League will be restructured and rechristened as Indian Football League. It is a landmark decision, though it will need the approval from the AIFF Executive Committee,” said Shillong Lajong owner Larsing Ming at the press conference.”We are making a fresh start of the league. The clubs themselves will majorly involve in running the league just like it is done in other top leagues of the world like the English Premier League.”
The announcement came in the backdrop of a crisis in Indian football after the AIFF and its previous commercial partner FSDL failed to renew the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) beyond December 8 last year.
The top-tier Indian Super League (ISL), organised by FSDL, and the I-League were paused only to restart after the intervention of the sports ministry.
The ISL is set to begin on February 14, a week before the I-League (Indian Football League).
The country’s top-tier league was originally called National Football League (NFL) which ran from 1996 to 2007 when it was re-branded as I-League. The ISL started in 2014 and it became the top-tier league. The I-League became the country’s second tier competition.
Diamond Harbour of West Bengal and Chanmari FC of Mizoram were promoted from the I-League 2024-25, making it an 11-club affair for a truncated 2025-26 season.
There is a big question mark on whether Goa’s Churchill Brothers would compete this season or not. They were initially announced as last edition I-League champions and promoted to the ISL.
But the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) later ruled that Inter Kashi were the champions, and the Varanasi-based club was subsequently promoted to the ISL. Churchill had knocked the doors of the Delhi HC against the AIFF, and the case is still pending.
“We are not sure of one club but it is more or less certain that 10 clubs will take part this season. Eight clubs have 100 per cent agreed. The other two also more or less agreed just after we (eight clubs) took a collective decision this morning,” Ming added.
The 10 clubs are Diamond Harbour, Chanmari FC, Real Kashmir, Gokulam Kerala, Rajasthan United, Dempo SC, Namdhari FC, Shillong Lajong, Sreenidi Deccan and Aizawl FC.
How many clubs will ultimately participate will be known after February 2, which is the deadline for the clubs to pay their share of the total cost of running the 2025-26 season.
The total cost of the league for 2025-26 has been pegged at Rs 3.25 crore, out of which the clubs will have to contribute 60 per cent or around Rs 2 crore, which means each club’s share will be around Rs 20 lakh.
The AIFF’s share is set to be 40 per cent, as the commercial partner which is to contribute 30 per cent is unlikely to be roped in before the start of the league.
