Two early developments in the 2026-27 (ISL) season have put the spotlight on the financial realities facing clubs under the league’s new club-run structure. One of the ISL’s most followed sides is set for a change of ownership, while a former head coach has publicly questioned unpaid wages at another club. Both stories have surfaced as teams operate without the previous commercial partner model.
On September 29, Kerala Blasters announced that Magnum Sports, the Hyderabad-based company that has owned the club since 2016, had signed a definitive agreement to sell its entire stake to Al Fursan. Al Fursan is a UAE-based sports and sports-technology consortium led by Sheikh Ahmad bin Faisal Al Qasimi.
The club said the transaction will be completed in stages over roughly eight months during the current season and remains subject to regulatory and league approvals. No sale value has been disclosed. Ofioh Sporty, a Kerala-based sports management company, will serve as the operating partner and manage day-to-day operations.
The new owners have outlined a long-term plan titled “Project Blasters,” focused on commercial growth, sports technology, infrastructure and fan engagement. Head coach Ashley Westwood is set to continue, and the team will remain based in Kochi.
Financial questions have also emerged at Inter Kashi. After defeated Inter Kashi 5-1 in Pune on October 23, East Bengal head coach , who coached last season, addressed the issue in his post-match press conference. He alleged that several players and coaching staff from the previous campaign were still awaiting payment. He also questioned how the club had been permitted to register 22 new signings while those earlier obligations remained unsettled.
Inter Kashi has not issued a public response, and no league or federation authority has ruled on the matter. Habas had earlier described the club’s position as a “very complicated situation” during a press conference in April.
The ISL is running under a revised framework this season. The All India Football Federation’s Master Rights Agreement with its former commercial partner, Football Sports Development Limited, ended in December 2025. That break led to a truncated 2025-26 campaign limited to a single round of 13 matches per club.
Under a new four-year arrangement between the AIFF and the clubs, a special purpose vehicle owned by the clubs holds the league’s commercial rights, covering broadcasting and sponsorship. Clubs may exit the arrangement after two years.
Each club pays the an administrative fee of ₹1.1 crore in the first year, rising to ₹1.25 crore by the fourth. The federation receives 10 per cent of the league’s net profit, with the clubs sharing the remaining 90 per cent. The AIFF continues to oversee refereeing, integrity, anti-doping and club licensing.
The new model places greater direct financial responsibility on the clubs. Beyond thefees, teams now share the league’s commercial risk and must fund a full home-and-away season. For Kerala Blasters, whose matches are staged in Kochi, the terms for using the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium were still under discussion when the takeover was announced.
These parallel developments highlight the tighter financial environment clubs face as they take greater control of the league’s commercial future.
