Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has announced that the Indian Super League will kick off on 14 February, bringing an end to a six-month crisis that brought Indian football to a standstill.
The ISL, which used to start in September, will feature all 14 clubs, including Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, which were opposed to the financial model suggested by the All India Football Federation. Mr Mandaviya announced after a joint meeting involving the government, the All India Football Federation and club representatives.
The league will be played on a home-and-away basis and will feature 91 matches. Final scheduling and logistics will be worked out by the clubs in the coming weeks.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey has said that the second division I-League will also restart around the same time, with all 11 clubs taking part in a shortened format of 55 matches.
Mr Chaubey added that a Governing Council Board will be set up to manage both leagues and will be empowered to take commercial decisions.
The ISL season had been on hold after AIFF’s commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited, suspended operations in July amid uncertainty over the Master Rights Agreement, which expired in December last year. A subsequent tender for a new partner failed to attract any bids.
