Indian football reaches Supreme Court once again; distressed players call for help

Days after the tender for Indian Super League found no bidders, the Indian footballing ecosystem once again finds itself in the Supreme Court.

"Following the deliberations of the bid evaluation committee on Sunday, the chairperson (Justice (Retd) Nageswara Rao) will submit his report to the Supreme Court as a next step in the process," the All India Football Federation said in a statement.

The latest development hasn't gone down well with footballers plying their trade in the Indian Super League, with calls for a quick resolution growing stronger than ever.

"Where we are right now...It isn't just a delay anymore, its a standstill for the fans, coaches, staff members and for everyone who lives and breathes Indian football," Indian vice-captain Sandesh Jhingan said in a statement.

"We have worked too hard and sacrificed too much to let our season vanish in silence. Because the entire Indian footballing ecosystem from academies to clubs are hanging in uncertainty.

"This game belongs to all of us. Let's protect it together," the FC Goa defender added.

East Bengal's Souvik Chakrabarti echoed the same sentiments.

"The failure of ISL bid is not just a business setback. For me, it shows how deep the problems in Indian football governance really go," he said in a statement.

"This is not only about one league. When the top tier of Indian football itself stands uncertain, it affects everything from grassroots to national level," Chakrabarti added.

Moroccan footballer Noah Wail Sadaoui, who has been playing in the ISL since 2022, also wrote a note requesting fans to demand answers.

"The time for requests is far gone, patience has been replaced with anxiety and livelihoods are on the line For the sake of all of us, who are entrenched in Indian football, we need immediate action and solutions," he wrote.

"We need the fans to rally together to demand answers, and we need it NOW, before it is too late.

"The clock is ticking. Raise your voices, ask questions and do not rest until we reach our goal which is to #SavelndianFootball," he added.

Indian goalkeeper and captain Gurpreet Singh Sandhu also made a desperate plea to find a speedy solution to this problem.

"We find ourselves in the midst of our hardest challenge yet. And yet, all we can do at this point is plead," Sandhu wrote.

"We've found ourselves in a very dark tunnel for long. We could do with a little light," he added.

With multiple clubs halting operations and providing extended breaks to players with no clear resolution in sight, Indian football continues to sink into abyss.