THE CRISIS IS DEEPENING

Image Credit- WION.

Even though the new season has begun in most European and Asian nations, Indian football has been in disarray for the past several days due to uncertainty surrounding the Indian Super League's (ISL) future. The All India Football Federation (AIFF), the highest governing organization of Indian football, is currently experiencing an existential crisis and may be banned by FIFA. The primary problem is the protracted delay in implementing the AIFF's new constitution. Furthermore, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA are both displeased with the postponement of the start of the new football season. When these problems will be fixed has not been confirmed yet by the men in power.

Indian football would suffer a severe blow if AIFF were to be suspended once more. All Indian clubs and national teams will be excluded from participating in international competitions. This includes the women's squad, which has already earned a spot in the 2026 Asian Cup, and the senior men's team, who will play Singapore in the Asian Cup qualifications. Additionally, teams like Mohun Bagan Super Giants and FC Goa could not be able to participate in the Asian Champions League Two. Hence one can only hope that the person in authority will fix the things right before its too late.

The crisis is deepening with every passing day. Only God knows when things will turn for good. 

WILL THIS BE BARCELONA'S SEASON?

 

Image Credit- FC Barcelona

The 2024-25 season was one of the finest seasons of FC Barcelona in recent times. Since 2019, the club has struggled both on and off the field. The management struggled in signing players and maintaining finances. On the other hand, the club failed to win silverware. However, things changed with Hansi Flick's arrival. 

FC Barcelona started demolishing their opponents just like they used to do in the good old days. The club won the Spanish Super Cup, Copa Del Rey, and the elusive league title. Unfortunately, they failed to complete the historic treble, as they were knocked out by the Inter Milan side in the Champions League semi-finals. The men from Barcelona gave everything in San Siro but missed it by the barest of margins.

Interestingly the defending champions have started off their campaign in style. The intensity and the style are nothing different from the previous season. They want to defend their titles at all costs. However, Barcelona is not a side that will get happy by just winning the domestic silverwares. They are European royalty who have won the UEFA Champions League on 5 occasions. The least being 2014-15. In the subsequent years they came close but failed to get past the semi-final stage. Will they win the elusive European title this year? The answer lies in the womb of time. However, for the time being everything looks good in Catalonia. 

FC BAYERN IS BACK

 

Image Credit- Bundesliga.

The last few years have not been good for the Bavarians. In the 2022-23 season they won the league by the barest of margins. In the following year, they lost the league after 11 long years as Bayer Leverkusen won their first-ever Bundesliga title. Even though the men in red fought hard and regained the league title next year, their performance was not that impressive as it used to be. 

Bayern meant domination, and that was quite missing. However, this time the German Champions have started it right. Firstly, they won a hard-fought DFL Super Cup game. However, it was the opening day of the Bundesliga season, which has shaken the entirety of Germany and Europe. FC Bayern Munich were facing RB Leipzig on Matchday 1. Leipzig is a tough team, but the way the Bavarians dismantled them was something truly unbelievable. 6-0. You read it right. The defending champions hammered the visitors and started off their 2025-26 campaign in grand style. Their striker Harry Kane got a hat trick as the Bayern Munich looks determined to defend their title. 

However, Munich is not a side that will get happy by just winning the domestic titles. They are a European royalty who have won the UEFA Champions League on 6 occasions. The least being 2019-20. In the subsequent years they came close, but failed to get past the semi-final stage. Will they win the elusive European title this year? The answer lies in the womb of time. However, for the time being everything looks good in Munich.

THE LEGEND OF KEVIN DE BRUYNE

 

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Kevin De Bruyne needs no introduction. He is a certified legend of the game. Be it international or club football, he has proved his worth again and again. Interestingly, when he joined Manchester City in 2015, he was dubbed a flop signing who doesn't deserve the amount of money he received. 

However, in the next decade he literally blew away everyone he faced. Such was his aura that when he returned back after an injury in 2024, these were the lines of Jurgen Klopp: “Kevin De Bruyne is warming up. The whole country is starting to shake.” In those ten years Kev made City a formidable force to reckon with, and the club won every piece of silverware possible. Unfortunately everything comes to an end, and so did Kev's association with the club. 

In 2025, Kevin joined the Italian champions Napoli, which marks a new chapter in his glorious career. He got his first goal in the opening game itself as the Champions started off their campaign with a win. Will Napoli defend their title? The answer lies in the womb of time. However, the addition of mighty Kev will surely boost their chances. 

THE INDIAN CRISIS

 

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After negotiations over the future of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) failed to come to a consensus, the Indian Super League (ISL), the country's premier men's football league, has been indefinitely suspended. The ISL has been placed on a pause since the league's organizing body, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), and the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) are unable to agree on conditions for the next MRA, which is scheduled to expire on December 8, 2025. Moreover, the Supreme Court of India has requested that the AIFF should hold off on renewing the 2010 agreement with FSDL until it had issued a ruling in a different case to enact a new constitution for the federation. As a result, everything is in doldrums. 

It is important to remember that football players and anyone connected to the sport will be impacted if the league does not exist. Therefore, the association must make every effort to guarantee that the league takes place. The football in India is going through one of its turbulent phases. The suspension of ISL just deepens the crisis. Hence, it is important that the same is resolved as soon as possible. 

INDIAN TEAM GETS A NEW COACH

 

Image Credit- AIFF.

At their virtual meeting on Friday, August 1, 2025, the Executive Committee (EC) of the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) chose Khalid Jamil to be the new head coach of the Senior Men's Indian National Team based on the federation's Technical Committee's (TC) proposal. On August 1, Jamil was given the job by the Indian football regulatory body out of 170 applicants. Interestingly, it has been 13 long years that we would be getting an Indian head coach of a men's football squad. In addition to his contract concerns, Jamil's starting date is also in contingent upon Jamshedpur FC's performance in the current Durand Cup.

A few EC members also submitted suggestions for Stephen Constantine. But following thorough deliberations, the house voted in Khalid Jamil's favor. The house believed that Jamil would be a better choice because he has been regularly working with Indian players, and India is scheduled to play in the CAFA Nations Cup 2025 later this month, followed by back-to-back AFC Asian Cup Final Round Qualifier matches against Singapore in October.

The Indian Football Team is going through one of the most turbulent phases. Hence, it will not be easy going for the new manager. However, in the past Khalid has proved his worth with my own club, Jamshedpur FC. Hence, we believe in him. Good luck, Coach. The nation has a lot of expectations of you.