Odisha FC suspend operations while women's team remain functional, confirms owner

New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) Odisha FC has suspended operations amidst the uncertainty regarding the future of the Indian Super League 2025/26 season. Club owner Rohan Sharma took to social media to confirm that while the headlines suggest the club has shut down, that is not entirely the case.

Odisha FC’s women side will continue their pre season plans for the upcoming season, with the Indian Women’s League 2025-26 season set to begin in September. He also hopes with more and more clubs being forced to suspend their operations, a solution for the future will be taken more efficiently.

“We haven't shut down the club despite the headlines. Key staff members are retained, our women's team will be operational. However, it becomes harder to justify to my stakeholders to sink Crs upon Crs with nothing to show for it, and no end in sight.

“We have -No Clarity when the League will Start - Nowhere to practice/play/work in Odisha - No way to get sponsorship since there's no season - No way to engage investors with an expiring participation agreement We hoped something would give, but sadly it hasn't

“We didn't go into this offseason planning to take this step. In fact we had made 5 signings until it became clear things are delayed We desperately hope the above issues get resolved; maybe doing this will prompt people to fast-track solutions so we can get back to work,” read the thread by Sharma on ‘X’

In a letter to the participant clubs, a copy of which is with IANS, FSDL informed that it is forced to put ISL 2025-26 on hold because it is "unable to effectively plan, organise, or commercialise the 2025–26 ISL season" because no agreement has been reached regarding the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), which was to expire on December 8, 2025, with the AIFF.

In December 2010, IMG Reliance, the joint venture between IMG Worldwide and Reliance Industries, acquired all the commercial rights to football in India from the AIFF for 15 years.

As per the agreement, the AIFF had given IMG Reliance the rights to exploit the sports commercial value to improve, popularise and promote the game of football throughout India, from the grassroots to the professional level.

--IANS

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