Near-Empty Coffers: Chhetri-Led Bengaluru FC Players Agree To Pay Cut For Truncated 2026 ISL Season

Bengaluru FC’s senior players, including Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri, have agreed to take a pay cut for the upcoming truncated Indian Super League (ISL) season, club owner Parth Jindal confirmed on Monday.

The delayed ISL season, which was paused for over four months amid administrative and financial turmoil, is set to restart on February 14 in a shortened format.

Jindal said the decision followed open and honest discussions between the club’s management and first-team players as Indian football navigates one of its most uncertain phases.

“Everyone is well aware of the challenging phase Indian football is going through,” Jindal wrote on X.

“For me, as a BFC team owner and someone deeply passionate about the sport and the club, this has been

one of the toughest periods ever.

“I am grateful to all the first-team players who have agreed to reduce their remuneration during this phase. This was one of the toughest decisions we have had to make as a club, and I truly appreciate that the players have made this sacrifice in the best interests of the club and the sport.”

Last month, Jindal had publicly urged players to make “sacrifices” to help clubs cope with the financial burden of participating in the delayed league, even warning that franchises could be forced to “shut shop for good” without collective support.

While he did not spell out the measures at the time, reduced salaries were widely expected.

Bengaluru FC’s squad includes national stalwarts such as Chhetri and goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

The Blues also announced former India international Renedy Singh as their new head coach for the upcoming season.

Bengaluru not the lone wolf

Earlier, FC Goa players and support staff — including India captain Sandesh Jhingan — also accepted pay cuts, with the club hailing the move as a “selfless” act. The AIFF Super Cup champions said they were “deeply humbled” by the unity and commitment shown by the group.

The ISL season was thrown into chaos after the AIFF’s former commercial partner Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) terminated the Master Rights Agreement on December 8 following disagreements over its renewal. A subsequent tender to appoint a new commercial partner failed to attract bidders.

After intervention from the sports ministry and intense negotiations, all 14 ISL clubs have confirmed participation in the truncated season. Each team will play 13 matches, with 91 games scheduled in total.

Clubs will collectively bear around 60 per cent of the league’s operational cost — approximately ₹1 crore per club — with the total budget pegged at ₹25 crore by the AIFF.

Fixtures are expected to be announced soon.

(with PTI inputs)