Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Bengaluru FC players, including India legend Sunil Chhetri, have agreed to take a pay cut for the truncated Indian Super League (ISL) season starting February 14, with club owner Parth Jindal thanking the squad for making the “sacrifice” in the best interests of both the franchise and the sport.Jindal said the management held open and honest discussions with the first-team players about “navigating the situation the sport finds itself in,” as the delayed ISL prepares to restart after being paused for more than four months.
Highlighting the challenges facing Indian football, Jindal took to X to explain the club’s position.“Everyone is well aware of the challenging phase Indian Football is going through. For me, as BFC team owner and someone who is deeply passionate about the sport and the club, this has been one of the toughest periods ever,” Jindal wrote on ‘X’.“I am grateful to all the first team players who have agreed to reduce their remuneration during this phase.“Without a doubt, this was one of the toughest decisions we have had to make as a club, and I truly appreciate that the players have made this sacrifice in the best interests of the club and the sport.”Jindal had earlier urged players across clubs to “make sacrifices” citing the “financial burden” franchises would face to participate in the delayed league, even warning that without player support his club might have to “shut shop for good.” While he had not detailed the nature of the sacrifice at the time, he hinted at salary reductions for the season.Bengaluru FC’s squad includes former India captain Sunil Chhetri and star goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu. The club has also appointed former India international Renedy Singh as first-team head coach for the upcoming campaign.Last month, FC Goa players, including India captain Sandesh Jhingan, along with support staff, also accepted pay cuts for the shortened season, with the club calling it a “selfless” move and saying it was “deeply humbled by this gesture and immensely grateful for the unity, character, and commitment shown by the group.” FC Goa’s roster also features India players Udanta Singh and Boris Singh.The ISL 2025–26 season was thrown into uncertainty after former organiser FSDL ended its Master Rights Agreement with the AIFF on December 8. Although a tender for a new commercial partner drew no bidders, intervention from the sports minister and negotiations ensured all 14 clubs confirmed participation. A truncated season featuring 91 matches will be played on a home-and-away basis, with each team contesting 13 games.The AIFF has since issued the Request for Proposal for broadcast rights, with bids set to open on February 2. Clubs will bear 60 per cent of the league’s financial cost, estimated at Rs 25 crore. Fixtures are expected to be announced soon.
