Mumbai City FC Breaks Ties with City Football Group as AIFF Unveils Alternative League Formats
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Kolkata, India - In a significant development, Mumbai City FC has announced that City Football Group (CFG) will no longer be a part of the Indian Super League (ISL) club. The CFG, which includes Manchester City and 13 other clubs across five continents, had acquired a 65% stake in Mumbai City FC in November 2019. According to an AIFF official, the club will now be owned by its current management. Mumbai City FC, a two-time ISL league shield and cup winner, has been an integral part of the league since CFG's acquisition. The club's management has assured that the team's operations will continue as usual, with the first team training as scheduled. Meanwhile, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has proposed two formats for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Anirban Dutta, general secretary of the Indian Football Association (IFA), revealed that the two proposals include staging matches in two cities followed by a knockout round, and a single-leg league with each team playing a fixed number of away matches. The AIFF committee, comprising Dutta, Caitano Fernandes, and Navas Meeran, aims to find a solution to revive the league, which has been paused due to the lack of a commercial partner. The clubs are scheduled to meet again on Friday to discuss the proposed formats and work towards a long-term solution. The AIFF committee has assured that a deadline-based approach can be worked out together after a format for this season is agreed upon. The proposal to split the teams into two zones, or conferences, is likely to feature Kolkata and Goa as the primary venues. This format is inspired by Major League Soccer, which runs on a similar system. The committee's primary goal is to reduce travel and hotel costs for the clubs, which have been particularly challenging this season. As the league's fate hangs in the balance, the AIFF committee is working towards finding a solution that benefits all parties involved. With the proposed formats and a commitment to revive the league, the future of Indian football looks promising.
