VASCO DA GAMA, INDIA: Churchill Brothers FC’s dramatic entry into the Indian Super League (ISL) has reignited the quickly fading enthusiasm of Indian football supporters. Having been controversially deprived of the I-League title in 2024-25, the Goan club have now acquired the sporting license that earlier belonged to the now-defunct Jamshedpur FC.
The Tata group, which owned Jamshedpur FC, agreed to sell their sporting license to Churchill Brothers for a token sum of INR 100. The latter, soon afterwards, paid the franchise and entry fees to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to confirm their participation in the upcoming ISL season, slated to start in October.
Churchill, who ended the 2024-25 I-League season on pole position, were deprived of their title after second-placed Inter Kashi moved the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). This was necessary because the AIFF had earlier adjudicated all matches played by Kashi with Marco Barco in their squad as null and void, since the overseas player’s registration was invalid.
Churchill Brothers will take Jamshedpur FC’s place in the ISL
The forfeiture of these games resulted in Churchill Brothers being placed at the top of the I-League table. The CAS, however, overturned the AIFF’s ruling and declared Inter Kashi to be the winners of the I-League. The Goans, quite naturally, were disheartened by this judgment; as an expression of their distrust in the Indian football system, they withdrew from the 2025-26 season entirely.
Now, in 2026, the hands of fate have conspired in a manner that allows the Red Machines to compete in the ISL, the premier competition of the Indian football structure, after all. With the acquisition of Jamshedpur FC’s license and the payment of the entry fees in a newly structured, club-run league, Churchill Brothers have earned the right to make their presence felt.
While allowing Churchill Brothers to play in the ISL by virtue of acquiring Jamshedpur FC’s license clears a major barrier to entry, it also sends mixed signals to clubs who are infamous for ignoring grassroots operations. AIFF’s decision to integrate Churchill into top-flight football is laudable, but it also raises questions about the league’s long-term viability.
Does this compromise the integrity of Indian football?
Most importantly, this takes the debate away from sporting merit altogether, since financial strength is seen as a short-term and feasible option to compete in India’s top-tier league. To many Indian football supporters, Churchill Brothers’ claim appears valid owing to the bungled 2024-25 I-League showdown, but this also opens the door for lesser clubs with high financial backing.
Making a one-time exception for the Red Machines should be the call that the AIFF must take, for they cannot afford to compromise the integrity of Indian football in the long run. While Churchill’s arrival can be explained by their historical standing in Indian football, as well as their performance in the I-League two seasons ago, such a means of entry into the ISL should be an exception rather than the norm.
Rarely does one see the AIFF take mature decisions for the good of Indian football, and despite being under pressure for skipping the FIFA ASEAN Cup in favour of a friendly with Brazil (reportedly to boost president Kalyan Chaubey’s re-election prospects), the federation has to be praised for such hypermetropia as to allow Churchill Brothers into the ISL.
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