10 Clubs Confirm Participation In I-League 2025-26; This Major Club Unlikely To Play
Out of the 10 clubs, eight have paid their contribution of around Rs 20 lakh each towards the total cost of the delayed league.
Ten teams have confirmed participation in the truncated season of the I-League 2025-26, the country's second-tier competition, starting February 21, according to sources. Out of the 10 clubs, eight have paid their contribution of around Rs 20 lakh each towards the total cost of the delayed league. The deadline for making the payment was February 2. "Eight clubs have paid the amount. Aizawl FC and Chanmari FC have also confirmed participation and they are expected to make the payment shortly," a club source told PTI on conditions of anonymity. The eight clubs which have made the payments are Diamond Harbour, Real Kashmir, Gokulam Kerala, Rajasthan United, Dempo SC, Namdhari FC, Shillong Lajong, Sreenidi Deccan.
Diamond Harbour of West Bengal and Chanmari FC of Mizoram were promoted from the I-League second division 2024-25.
Goa's Churchill Brothers are almost certain not to compete in the I-League. 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.
"Churchill Brothers are not in touch with I-League clubs. They have not replied to numerous attempts to get in touch with them," the source added.
The I-League is set to restructured and rechristened as Indian Football League (IFL), with the clubs becoming majority stakeholders in the venture from the upcoming season beginning 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 on January 28. But, the AIFF's Executive Committee is yet to approve the decision.
I-League was delayed along with the Indian Super League after crisis hit the country's football after the national federation 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 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 (30% 10%), as the commercial partner.
The league will have Governing Council and Management Committee for the first time with representatives from the clubs, commercial partners and the AIFF. The Governing Council will be a larger body which will be the final decision making body, while the Management Committee will be a smaller one to look after day-to-day affairs.
All the clubs will play in a single round robin league in home and away format in the first phase. Some matches of a club will be at home and some away.
In the second phase, the clubs will be divided in two groups -- one for championships round and the other to decide relegation.
The championship round will be played in a single round robin format and the club which gets the highest point will be declared the winners. In the championship round, the clubs will carry forward the points they have garnered in the first phase.
The club which was ranked higher in the first phase will get to play at home against a lower-ranked side in the championship round.
The bottom two finishers in the second group after a single round robin format will be relegated to I-League 2.Â
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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