Overview

• Former Supreme Court judge L. Nageswara Rao will supervise an open, competitive tender to select the AIFF’s ISL commercial partner, with the process to conclude by October 15.
• The court directed the AIFF to issue the tender and barred it from entering binding contracts until the judgment is pronounced.
• AIFF and FSDL told the bench they will coordinate on the process, with FSDL waiving its right of first negotiation to enable a fully open bid.
• The bench said it will first issue a short order on the master-rights issue before delivering its verdict on the revised AIFF constitution, which FIFA expects to be court-approved by October 30.
• The ISL season remains on hold after FSDL’s July 11 announcement, at least three clubs have paused operations or salaries, and the 2010 Master Rights Agreement expires in December 2025.