Odisha FC Players 'Forced To Take Loans', Urge Club To Clear Salary Dues

Odisha FC players have reportedly urged the club to clear salary dues pending for the past six months, revealing that several squad members have been forced to take loans to cope with mounting financial

strain.

According to The Times of India

, the players wrote a letter to the team management, stressing that unpaid wages have placed them under severe financial pressure as football is their sole source of income.

“… salaries have been on hold for the past six months. During this prolonged period, many players have been facing significant financial difficulties, as football is their primary source of income for themselves and their families. In some cases, players have had to take out loans. We fully understand the challenges the club has gone through; however, the lack of salary payments has placed the players in a very difficult economic situation. For this reason, we respectfully request the payment of the pending salaries, or at least a partial payment, to help alleviate the current hardship,” the players said in the letter.

The crisis has also disrupted the club’s pre-season plans. Unlike the rest of the ISL teams, Odisha skipped the Super Cup and is yet to assemble for training, even as other clubs have begun preparations for the upcoming season.

In the letter, the players wrote that they have received no clear communication on when training will begin, an uncertainty they admit is far from ideal ahead of a shortened 13-match campaign.

Odisha are scheduled to host Punjab FC in their opening ISL fixture on February 16. The players have indicated they would need at least two weeks of preparation to be match-ready.

However, the report added that the club is yet to finalise arrangements with the Odisha government regarding access to the stadium and training facilities, raising the possibility that training could begin just a week before the opener. The club created a new WhatsApp group to update players, indicating a tentative plan to start pre-season training in Bhubaneswar around February 8–9, subject to government clearance.