After nine months of uncertainty, Indian football finally has a restart date. The Indian Super League (ISL) is set to return on February 14, bringing an end to a prolonged standstill that left players, coaches and clubs in limbo. But the relief has come at a cost, and it is the players who are being asked to pay the price.
The restart follows the collapse of the 15-year commercial rights agreement between the All India Football Federation and Football Sports Development Limited. With no new commercial partner and no broadcast deal in place, the league will resume in a trimmed format, forcing clubs to drastically limit expenditure.
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