Odisha FC Faces Uncertainty: What’s Next for the Indian Super League?
Odisha FC's Current Status Amid League Uncertainty
New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: Odisha FC has announced a temporary halt in its operations due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Indian Super League's 2025/26 season. Rohan Sharma, the club's owner, clarified on social media that while reports may indicate a complete shutdown, the situation is more nuanced.
The women's team of Odisha FC will continue its pre-season preparations as the Indian Women’s League for the 2025-26 season is set to kick off in September. Sharma expressed hope that as more clubs face similar operational challenges, a viable solution for the league's future will emerge.
In his post on 'X', Sharma stated, “We haven’t shut down the club despite the headlines. Key staff members are retained, and our women’s team will remain active. However, it’s increasingly difficult to justify continued investment without any clear outcomes or timelines.”
He further elaborated, “We lack clarity on when the league will commence, have no facilities to practice or play in Odisha, and face challenges in securing sponsorships due to the absence of a season. Engaging investors is also complicated by an expiring participation agreement. We had hoped for a resolution, but unfortunately, that hasn’t materialized.”
Sharma noted that the decision to pause operations was not anticipated, as the club had already made five signings before realizing the delays. He expressed a desire for these issues to be resolved swiftly, suggesting that taking this step might encourage stakeholders to expedite solutions so the club can resume its activities.
We haven’t shut down the club despite the headlines.
Key staff members are retained, our women’s team will be operational.
However, it becomes harder to justify to my stakeholders to sink Crs upon Crs with nothing to show for it, and no end in sight.
— Rohan (@RohanSharma915) August 1, 2025
In a communication to the participating clubs, FSDL indicated that it has been compelled to suspend the ISL 2025-26 season due to its inability to effectively plan, organize, or commercialize the event. This situation arises from the lack of an agreement regarding the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), which is set to expire on December 8, 2025, with the AIFF.
In December 2010, IMG Reliance, a joint venture between IMG Worldwide and Reliance Industries, secured all commercial rights to football in India from the AIFF for a duration of 15 years. This agreement allowed IMG Reliance to leverage the sport's commercial potential to enhance, popularize, and promote football across India, from grassroots initiatives to professional levels.