“Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried,” Sunil Chhetri says the current state of Indian football is deeply concerning

Former Indian national football team captain Sunil Chhetri has expressed deep concern over the suspension of the Indian Super League and the future of India's footballing ecosystem.

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“The current situation that Indian football finds itself in, is very concerning. I’ve received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs - not just from my club, but from other clubs as well,” Chhetri wrote on his social media handle X (formerly Twitter).

When my phone went off a few weeks ago informing us of a delay in pre-season by a fortnight, I must admit it made me smile. And that’s because I was on vacation, hadn’t moved as much as I would have liked to, and hadn’t been eating as clean as I usually do. I had more time than I… pic.twitter.com/pEGyr8Sp5O

— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) July 16, 2025

Worried about the future - Chhetri 

Chhetri, who plays for Bengaluru FC in the ISL, wrote on social media, “I’ve received a flurry of texts from players, staff members, physios, masseurs – not just from my club, but from other clubs as well.

“Everybody in the Indian football ecosystem is worried, hurt, scared about the uncertainty we are faced with,” he added.

There is no new agreement between AIFF and FSDL

The 2025-26 season of the ISL has been put 'on hold' as the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and organising company Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) has not been renewed yet.

The Supreme Court has directed the AIFF not to enter into any new agreement with FSDL until a final decision is taken on the AIFF.

A 15-year agreement was signed in 2010

A 15-year agreement between FSDL and AIFF was signed in 2010, under which FSDL pays Rs 50 crore every year to AIFF in return for the rights to broadcast, manage and promote Indian football (including ISL and the national team).

Please stay calm - Chhetri

Sunil Chhetri appealed to all the players and support staff to maintain patience and support each other. He expressed confidence that football will resume soon. The AIFF has also said that it understands the importance of ISL, but it is compelled to follow the court's order.

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“I may not have all the answers, but my message to all those involved with Indian football – and more importantly the ones whose livelihood depends on it, the players, staff, kitmen, masseurs, medical teams, production crews, operations staff – please stay calm.”

“We’ll ride this storm together. Stick together and look out for each other. Keep training and getting better. Football has to resume soon. It will,” Sunil Chhetri shared.