Shillong, Jul 28: The Governing Council of the Indian Football League met at the headquarters of the All India Football Federation in New Delhi on Monday.
The meeting was attended by representatives from 10 of the 11 IFL clubs — Aizawl FC, FC Bengaluru United, Chanmari FC, Delhi FC, Dempo SC, Gokulam Kerala FC, Rajasthan United FC, Real Kashmir FC, Shillong Lajong FC, Sreenidi Deccan FC. Only Mohammedan Sporting did not attend.
From the AIFF, Deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan, Head of Competitions Akshay Rohatgi and Head of Strategy and Operations Nildeep Mondal were present.
The Governing Council and the AIFF deliberated on key decisions for the 2026-27 season. It was confirmed that the IFL 2026-27 season will commence on 16th October.
In another significant decision aimed at increasing gametime for Indian players, a regulation permitting a maximum of three foreign players in a team’s starting line-up was confirmed for the upcoming season.
As part of their long-term commitment to strengthening youth development, the IFL clubs collectively agreed that every club will enrol in the AIFF Academy Accreditation Programme and attain a minimum two-star accreditation before the 2027-28 season. Lajong’s academy already meets this requirement.
The clubs also committed to developing their academies to achieve a minimum three-star accreditation by 2030.
Satyanarayan said, “This was our first meeting ahead of the new season, and we began by reviewing last year’s truncated campaign, looking at all the key numbers, both in terms of broadcast performance and overall expenditure. The clubs were pleased that we were able to conduct the league on a very tight budget.
We also discussed the roadmap for the new season, including the proposed budgets. While a few aspects are still being finalised, we are pleased that the start date has now been confirmed and we will work together towards delivering a successful 2026-27 season.”
(File photo)
