John Abraham echoed Indian footballers’ plea to FIFA as the ISL remains suspended amid governance turmoil.
Bollywood actor and Northeast United FC co-owner John Abraham has described the current state of Indian football as a “shame,” amplifying the voices of senior players who have appealed to FIFA for intervention. His remarks came as the Indian Super League (ISL) continues to remain suspended, leaving players, clubs and fans in limbo.
Sharing a video message from national team stars, Abraham wrote, “Shame on us… this is what we have come to.” The video featured Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Sandesh Jhingan, among others, warning that Indian football is heading towards “permanent paralysis” if the situation is not resolved quickly.
“It’s January and we should be on your screens as part of a competitive football game in the Indian Super League,” Gurpreet said. Jhingan added, “Instead, here we are driven by fear and desperation to say aloud something which we all know.”
The players stressed that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is no longer able to fulfil its responsibilities, urging FIFA to step in to safeguard the future of the sport in the country. “We are now staring at a permanent paralysis. This is the last-ditch effort to save what we can,” the joint statement read.
Chhetri underlined the urgency, saying, “Players, staff, owners and the fans deserve clarity, protection and more importantly, a future.” The appeal emphasised that the request was not political but born out of necessity, describing the situation as a humanitarian, sporting and economic crisis.
The 2025-26 ISL season was halted in July due to uncertainty over the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). The agreement expired on December 8, leading to a contractual deadlock that required Supreme Court intervention. A tender for commercial rights was issued under court supervision but failed to attract bidders.
On Thursday, 13 of the 14 ISL clubs informed the AIFF they were willing to participate in a shortened season if no participation fee was charged and if the federation assumed responsibility for organisational and operational costs.
The AIFF responded on Saturday, stating that the delayed season’s start date would be announced next week after receiving the Coordination Committee’s report. Following a meeting of its Emergency Committee, the federation confirmed it would conduct the league. PTI reported that February 15 is being considered as a possible commencement date.