Amid the chaos surrounding the ISL, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has released the tender notice for the I-League. With Indian football authorities struggling to sort out ISL arrangements, the federation hopes this announcement will ease the uncertainty around the I-League.
Bids must be submitted by 13 December, and they will be opened the next day, 14 December. The base tender amount for the main I-League has been fixed at ₹4 crore. For I-League 2 and I-League 3, the tender values stand at ₹1.25 crore and ₹75 lakh respectively a total of ₹6 crore across all three divisions.
Due to the ISL turmoil, discussions around the I-League had largely faded. Clubs had repeatedly questioned why fixtures and dates were not being announced. Many alleged that the federation was entirely focused on the ISL, leaving domestic competitions in limbo. Clubs had even demanded a clear roadmap from the AIFF.
Frustrated with the federation, several I-League club representatives bypassed AIFF meetings and held discussions directly with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in Delhi, raising concerns about the tournament’s organisation.
The core issue stems from disputes between Bengaluru and Delhi over I-League relegation, leading to severe delays. Although the Championship was declared after much effort by CAS, the relegation dispute remains unresolved. Inter Kashi reportedly lodged a complaint with CAS, and Bengaluru followed suit. However, no updates have emerged from CAS yet.
Against this backdrop, the federation has finally announced the I-League tender. But a pressing question now looms: after the failure of the ISL tender, will the I-League tender meet the same fate? Only time will tell.
