Super Cup to likely get underway in September amid AIFF's ongoing tussle with FSDL, says Kalyan Chaubey

Amid the drama surrounding the fate of the Indian Super League (ISL), All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey has announced the decision to host the Super Cup ahead of the 12th season of the country’s top-flight football competition.

The knockout tournament that was brought in as a replacement for the Federation Cup traditionally takes place around the month of April, with the 2024 edition being an outlier by taking place in January.

However, the 2025-26 season of the ISL still in a state of uncertainty due to the ongoing dispute between the national federation and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) over the Master Rights Agreement, which expires this December.

The AIFF, thus, has decided to host the Super Cup at the start of the next season instead of the end and is eyeing the second or third week of September for the tournament to get underway. And due to the sudden change in schedule, the event’s format might also get modified.

AIFF to confirm exact dates soon, confirms Kalyan Chaubey

According to Chaubey, the decision was made to ensure that the ISL clubs get enough competitive matches while the AIFF and the FSDL continue their negotiations over the MRA.

“Super Cup will be held before the ISL due to club concerns, tournament format might also be modified. We are anticipating (Super Cup) should be in the second or third week of September. Some teams need six–eight weeks to complete prep and bring back players. In our next meeting, we’ll announce the kick-off date,” AIFF chief Chaubey said at a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday.

“Eight ISL clubs raised concerns over certainty of league on 28th July. All ISL clubs were present in the meeting with Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Odisha FC represented virtually. Another meeting with the clubs will be held within a week or two,” he added.

Meanwhile, the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming ISL season has forced clubs to take drastic actions such as Bengaluru FC suspending salaries of star forward Sunil Chhetri and the rest of the squad and Chennaiyin FC putting first-team operations on hold .

Chaubey, however, added that the AIFF did not have anything to do with the administrative decisions made by the clubs.

“It’s the club’s decision to pay their players or staff. We can’t intervene, that’s how all top leagues operate,” Chaubey added.