The Indian Super League:<\/b> Sporting Club Delhi midfielder Lalrinliana Hnamte believes the Indian Super League\u2019s new club-led commercial model can bring greater investment and interest to the competition, saying the change could make a 'huge difference' for both players and fans.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Indian Super League (ISL) enters the 2026-27 season under a new commercial structure after the AIFF and the league\u2019s clubs agreed in July to transfer the commercial rights to the clubs, while the federation retained administrative and regulatory oversight. The new arrangement is aimed at giving clubs greater responsibility for the league\u2019s commercial and financial growth.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Asked how the change could benefit the competition and players, Hnamte said clubs having greater commercial control could encourage them to invest more in their teams and take greater ownership of the league. \u201cI don\u2019t think much, but it will make more interest because the club will be willing to pay more and willing to take care of the club more. So as a fan and for the player, it will be a huge difference, a huge change,\u201d Hnamte replied to an IANS query during a media interaction.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The 2026-27 season will also return to a full home-and-away format, with the playoffs back as part of the competition. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Hnamte, who has joined SC Delhi ahead of the new season after representing clubs like Chennai FC, said he is entering the campaign in the best possible shape and has set his sights firmly on winning the league.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThis season is one of the best; mentally and physically I\u2019m ready. We are not here to compete; we are trying to win the league, so we are ready for that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The midfielder also highlighted the hunger within SC Delhi\u2019s young squad, saying the team\u2019s ambition goes beyond simply making up the numbers. \u201cAnd the group, we are very young, but we are hungry for the trophy. And I think it will be very great for us, and I think we\u2019ll have a great season,\u201d Hnamte added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Meanwhile, SC Delhi head coach Tomasz Tchorz said the club has not had to deal with the additional workload associated with players returning from recent international fixtures, as none of his players were involved with the national team during the current period.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
However, several Indian players from other ISL clubs have recently featured in international friendlies against strong opposition, including Brazil, raising questions over workload management ahead of the league season.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIn our case, there is not a problem because, unfortunately for our club and team, we didn\u2019t have any player playing for the national team this winter,\u201d Tchorz said. \u201cObviously, other teams have to manage the load because some of the players played a few games in a short period of time against very demanding opponents,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The SC Delhi coach, however, acknowledged the value of such international exposure for the players involved. \u201cFor those who played in these games, obviously, it\u2019s a valuable experience, and they will have a lot of takeaways from these games. However, for us, it doesn\u2019t really matter because we are still working on delivering players to the national team,\u201d Tchorz said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIn our case, there is not a problem because, unfortunately for our club and team, we didn\u2019t have any player playing for the national team this winter,\u201d Tchorz said. \u201cObviously, other teams have to manage the load because some of the players played a few games in a short period of time against very demanding opponents,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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