Bengaluru FC halt salaries amid ISL uncertainty
NEW DELHI: Indian Super League side Bengaluru FC have suspended salary payments to their first-team players and staff, citing deepening uncertainty over the future of the country’s top-tier football league.
In a statement released on Monday, the 2018–19 ISL champions said the decision was made “in view of the uncertainty surrounding the future of the Indian Super League season.”
“Running and sustaining a football club in India has always been an uphill climb, one that we have put everything aside and made, season after season,” the club said. “However, the lack of clarity on the League’s future leaves us with no choice but to take this step.”
The ISL has been put on hold following a breakdown in contract renewal talks between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), led by Reliance. The negotiations were stalled after the Supreme Court instructed the AIFF not to renew the deal until it rules on a separate matter involving the federation’s constitution.
Bengaluru FC emphasised their concern for those affected: “The future and well-being of our players, staff and their families is of utmost importance to us, and we are in touch with them as we wait for a resolution.”
Indian media reports indicate that eight ISL clubs will meet the AIFF this week in an attempt to address the crisis and determine the league’s path forward. Both the AIFF and FSDL have yet to issue official comments.(Reuters)
