Football gets lobbed back in SC, potential bidders feel tender commercially unviable

Panaji: Odisha FC captain Carlos Delgado summed up the frustration of the fraternity when he responded angrily to a statement on social media by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Sunday.“We don’t want statements, we want action,” said Delgado, the Spanish defender who has spent four years in India. “We want to play football; you’ve paralysed an entire ecosystem.”Delgado, like several other footballers, is waiting for a word on the start of the top league, but with AIFF finding no takers for its commercial rights, the wait has only got longer. Odisha are yet to start pre-season, while other clubs have provided extended breaks to their players, unsure when they will train again this season.At this stage, even AIFF wouldn’t know. After all, the tender for the sale of commercial rights of the Indian Super League (ISL) found no takers.“Following the deliberations of the bid evaluation committee on Sunday, the chairperson (Justice (Retd) Nageswara Rao) will submit his report to the Supreme Court as the next step in the process,” the AIFF said in a statement, one that infuriated Delgado.According to sources, AIFF has been told by potential bidders that the tender for the top league in its current form is “commercially unviable”.

Reliance-subsidiary Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the current marketing partners, had listed 174 questions after the pre-bid meeting but did not submit a bid before Friday’s deadline.“The current RFP structure continues an unsustainable model that burdens the commercial partner and clubs while centralising control with the federation,” said a senior official. “The federation is not investing any money, nor guaranteeing any investment, but the bidder still remains a minority voice in the running of the league.”Another official said the structure allows AIFF to control all operational and commercial aspects, with permission even needed for minor matters like website design. “No credible investor will find this viable,” he said, adding that the governing council has just one seat for the commercial partner while AIFF holds two of six.One of the four bidders who attended the pre-bid meeting changed their mind after the consortium was told they cannot keep the broadcast rights, unless they bid and win from an open tender.The promotion and relegation in the top league has also emerged as a major sticking point.“Several countries in the world, including the United States, have closed leagues and its not a mandatory regulation for global football,” said another official. “Promotion and relegation can be enforced when there is little gap between the two leagues. Right now, the difference between ISL and I-League is about six or seven times.

Clubs have made significant investments (in the top tier) and need time. They are not happy with parachute payments (for relegated teams).

”As per the constitution approved by the Supreme Court and adopted by the AIFF on Oct 12, the “senior most top division league should be owned, operated, and recognised by AIFF, and implement the principles of promotion and relegation”.A senior AIFF official said all terms in the contract have emerged either from the Supreme Court directives or the Constitution.Justice Nageswara Rao, who prepared the AIFF’s draft constitution and is now bid evaluation committee chairman, will submit his report to the Supreme Court in the next 48 hours.