Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 8: With the Indian Super League (ISL) facing uncertainty over its future, Bengaluru FC owner Parth Jindal has called for sweeping structural reforms, including adopting a Major League Soccer (MLS)-style closed league and introducing a player draft or auction system to ensure financial sustainability and competitive balance.
Speaking in an interview, Jindal, whose JSW Sports owns franchises across multiple Indian leagues, said the current free-market player signing system in the ISL has made the league economically unviable for club owners. He stressed that unless urgent changes are implemented, Indian football risks stagnation despite having talent and infrastructure in place.
Recalling a light-hearted remark from his father, industrialist Sajjan Jindal, Parth said he was often questioned about investing heavily in football when the same funds could help produce elite athletes elsewhere. “But if we walk away, I don’t know what happens next,” he remarked, underlining the precarious state of the sport.
The ISL, originally scheduled to begin in September, is now set to kick off on February 14 with a truncated season. What lies beyond the season, however, remains unclear.
Jindal, who has been involved in Indian football for over 13 years, said the sport had shown remarkable progress at one stage, with India’s FIFA ranking improving significantly and Indian clubs and players making their mark internationally. However, he lamented that the past few years have seen a sharp decline, citing poor results and structural issues.
He proposed an auction or draft system for Indian players, similar to models followed by the IPL, Pro Kabaddi League and other successful sports leagues in the country. Under his proposal, clubs could retain a limited number of players, particularly from their academies, while foreign players could be signed within a salary cap framework.
“For this to work, there can be no relegation,” Jindal said, advocating a closed-league MLS model where teams buy into the league through participation fees. Poor-performing teams would be supported through higher draft picks rather than punished with relegation, ensuring long-term stability and parity.
Highlighting the financial strain on clubs, Jindal said losses often range between Rs 20 crore and Rs 30 crore per season, irrespective of performance. “In a free market, clubs keep losing money. Only leagues governed by auctions or drafts actually become sustainable,” he said.
He added that while the ISL has succeeded in building quality football infrastructure across India, the absence of a stable and competitive league structure threatens player development and the sport’s future.
“There must be a strong, stable league feeding directly into the national team. That’s the only path forward for Indian football,” Jindal asserted.