 "Bollywood actor and Co-owner of ISL club Chennaiyin FC. AFP")
Amid the uncertainty over the continuity of the Indian Super League, two-time champion Chennaiyin FC have decided to temporarily suspend first-team operations. Subsequently, the players and staff have been informed. The club has formally released a statement about the subject, calling it as a decision that came after “careful deliberations.”
The development come after Bengaluru FC froze the salaries of its first team on Monday . Moreover, there are doubts spiraling about whether the club would be able to carry out its contractual commitments to the players and staff.
Chennaiyin FC, co-owned by Abhishek Bachchan and Vita Dani, reportedly covered first-team salaries for June but faced difficulties in paying July salaries due to a cash flow shortage triggered by the Indian Super League’s temporary suspension by the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). The club had already suspended its youth team operations.
AIFF has scheduled a meeting
As the league is in a precarious situation, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has acted upon it and scheduled a meeting for Thursday, August 7, in New Delhi, where the board will meet with CEOs of eight Indian Super League clubs to address the prevailing issues related to the league.
“AIFF officials will meet with CEOs from eight Indian Super League clubs, on Thursday, August 7, 2025, in New Delhi, to discuss issues regarding #IndianFootball,” the federation posted on social media.
The meeting has been called after FSDL placed the upcoming 2025-26 season on hold. Despite the clouds of doom looming over the ISL, AIFF has kept its optimistic figure intact. The board has ensured that it will take all the necessary steps to give a future to the league.
“If the league doesn’t take place, it is not only footballers but the people who are associated with football that will be affected. It’s thousands of people who will be affected. So, we will put our best effort to ensure that the league happens,” AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey had said.
A lot depends on the meeting as the clubs are in state of limbo.