ഐഎസ്എൽ 2026-27: പുതിയ സീസൺ വരുന്നു; ഇന്ത്യൻ ഫുട്ബോളിന്റെ ഭാവിയിൽ ആശങ്കകളും പ്രതീക്ഷകളും നിറയുന്നു

There is no word on the broadcaster.

I think the ISL shop is going to shut down this year."

No, these are not the words of the author, but lines from a promotional ad for the new Indian Super League (ISL) season, in which two Indian football tragics ponder the future of the league beside a dusty, shuttered shop. Just then, a security guard walks in between them and says, 'it's time to open the shop', raising their hopes.

After the corny 'Let's Football' catchphrase of its glitzy first year died a slow death somewhere along the way, the 14th edition of the ISL simply wants to let everyone know: '#WeareOpen'.

It's somewhat self-deprecating and bold of the league to make no secret of the uncertainty and tribulations of recent times.

But it's also a clever way to reel the faithful back to a product which has struggled to retain the interest of its audience in recent seasons. Many, barring the East Bengal supporters, will want to forget the abject manner in which the curtailed 2025-26 season (which, to be fair, was essentially just 2026) unfolded.

This season, however, seems to mark the start of a new era under the club-ownership model, which will see the 13 clubs share commercial and operational responsibility for the league.

There is a new CEO in place after three years. A new league title sponsor after three years. A new broadcaster was signed 10 days before the start of the league. The league will return to a full season with a home-and-away format. The playoffs are back too.

But as highlighted by the league in its own promo, there are still issues which will need addressing.

Teams are indeed leaving, as seen with TATA Steel's exit from Jamshedpur FC, a former ISL champion, this summer.

Their exit prompted even rival club players to call for TATA Steel to reconsider the decision, with former India captain and Bengaluru FC (BFC) skipper Sunil Chhetri urging the boardroom members to 'pick their hearts over heads' even if it is a 'poor business decision'. That the club's ownership changed hands for a meagre amount of Rs. 100 may have further dented the league's commercial valuation.

Clubs are continuing to bleed money, with the real money gaming ban imposed in 2025 creating a big hole in sponsorship deals. Ticket sales and central revenue from media rights have also been low. Diamond Harbour, which won promotion last season, has been barred from participating in the league and has already been placed at the bottom of the table to be relegated because of its inability to pay the participation fee.

But there is hope that this new model can help "restore confidence in the market", according to Chennaiyin FC COO Akhil Prakash.

"Over the last couple of years, there has been a lot of negative buzz around the ISL -- about the structure, calendar and stability. At one point, people were even asking whether the ISL would happen at all," says Prakash.

"This model is for four years, and this is the first year. The clubs should now be able to solve the instability problem. For example, before the end of this season, we should be able to estimate when the next season will start and give the market a clear window for it."

Yet, much of the league's success will depend on the quality of football served up by the teams. Traditional heavyweights Mohun Bagan Super Giant and defending champion East Bengal, both strong favourites for the title, always deliver when it comes to sheer drama and thrills.

Last season, East Bengal ended its over two-decade-long wait for a domestic league title. It was the league's sixth champion in seven seasons, ending archrival Mohun Bagan's hold over the title. It was doubly sweet for the Red and Gold brigade when it pipped the Mariners for the crown.

Fresh off the ISL win, Oscar Bruzon severed ties with East Bengal, blaming the lack of vision before launching criticism at self-serving officials within the club. The club management has only gone and replaced one manager with personality with an even bigger personality in Antonio Lopez Habas.

Habas has quickly endeared himself to his new supporters by masterminding a Durand Cup triumph, secured with a convincing 4-1 win over his former side, Bagan, in the title decider, to lay an early marker for the season. East Bengal's task of retaining the title will only get harder as it juggles tough AFC Champions League Two commitments.

Under new boss Panagiotis Dilmperis, who has swapped Punjab FC for Indian football's most successful club, Bagan will need to quickly repair the damage. Bagan has refreshed its attack with the signings of Lallianzuala Chhangte, Dejan Drazic and Lee Erwin, while also adding last season's MVP Miguel Figueira from East Bengal.

The onus will be on the rest of the chasing pack to step up and try to close the gap to the big boys from Kolkata.

Bengaluru FC, too, has a strong Indian core, with Ryan Williams' addition allowing the club to invest smartly in its overseas signings, evidenced by all of its summer transfers coming from abroad. While Pep Munoz's arrival mid-season seemingly derailed BFC's title run, the Spaniard will be keen to show in his first full season that his appointment was no mistake.

FC Goa lost its long-term manager Manolo Marquez and promoted Gouramangi Singh, hoping he can continue its tradition of playing exciting football while getting Goa back into the title challenge. Since its Shield win in 2020, Goa has averaged a fifth-place league finish over the last six years, while never qualifying for the playoffs final.

Marquez, who moved north to Mumbai City FC, will hope his honest approach can leave a transformative imprint on another club in India. Despite the loss of Chhangte, Mumbai City has put together a squad which can challenge for a playoff place.

Juan Pedro Benali is the league's longest-serving manager at a club, with NorthEast United, and will hope Alaaeddine Ajaraie's return can help the Highlanders disrupt the favourites.

New investors in Kerala Blasters might provide the much-needed change in fortunes that its success-starved fanbase has been clamouring for. But an unsettled squad in the build-up to the season isn't likely to accelerate that turnaround.

Chennaiyin FC, among the league's founding members, has reached the playoffs just once in the last six seasons, before finishing a lowly 13th in the last campaign under Clifford Miranda. The club has, however, backed the manager with a multi-year contract and exciting signings, including creative midfielder Madih Talal, to stage a turnaround. With smartly assembled squads, Delhi SC, Punjab FC and Odisha FC are others who could make the playoffs race a tightly contested affair.

Another Indian football veteran club, Churchill Brothers, will make its maiden foray into the ISL after absorbing Jamshedpur's operations. Its arrival will add a new dimension and provide FC Goa with a city rival to fight for bragging rights.

There is also added spikiness between Inter Kashi and Churchill Brothers, dating back to their I-League days over the 2024-25 title, which, after multiple appeals, was decided by the Court of Arbitration in the favour of Kashi. But the lack of quality in their squads might hinder the duo from having any meaningful say in proceedings.

After a lot of uncertainty, the shop is open with plenty of intriguing sub-plots to look out for. But now, it's time for the teams to show that those who put their 'hearts over heads' into this endeavour made the right call.