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FC Goa Pause Play to Protest Uncertainty in Indian Football

The gesture spotlights a governance vacuum that persists following the expiry of the AIFFFSDL agreement.

Overview

  • FC Goa players stood still at kickoff of their AFC Champions League Two match against FC Istiklol at Fatorda, describing the pause as a symbolic appeal for clarity.
  • The club said the act was not aimed at Istiklol, the AFC, or the competition and was intended to highlight wider domestic challenges.
  • Uncertainty deepened after the 15-year Master Rights Agreement between the AIFF and FSDL expired on December 8, with FSDL having kept the ISL on hold since July.
  • A Supreme Court-supervised tender for ISL commercial rights attracted no bidders, and the AIFF later formed a committee after rejecting a bid by 10 ISL clubs for perpetual control.
  • News reports have pointed to waning investor confidence, including claims that City Football Group has ended its partnership with Mumbai City FC.