India's Football Woes Deepen as City Football Group Abandons Mumbai City FC
The country's once-hopeful football league has been dealt another devastating blow with the sudden departure of global investor and owner City Football Group (CFG), whose withdrawal from Indian Super League (ISL) marks a significant escalation in the sport's growing crisis.
Just six months ago, CFG had announced it was divesting its 65% stake in Mumbai City FC, citing "commercial uncertainty" surrounding the league's future. However, few were surprised by this move as the situation on the ground is dire. The 2025-26 ISL season has been delayed indefinitely, with no resumption date set in sight.
For fans and players alike, the implications are severe. With CFG gone, the financial lifeline that kept many clubs afloat – including Mumbai City FC – is now severed. Coaches, staff, and even top foreign talent have begun to leave, citing uncertainty over their future employment prospects. Mumbai supporters like Suresh Khatri can only watch as their team remains grounded.
"This isn't just about the club; it's a problem with the whole system," said Ravi Puskur, owner of FC Goa, another struggling ISL side. "CFG's exit is a serious indictment of our football administration, which has failed to create an environment conducive to sustainable investment."
The situation has long been dire for Indian football, with a reliance on lucrative sponsorships and foreign ownership. Cricket remains the dominant sport in India, making it challenging to attract new investors.
"Indian football governance needs to take stock of its shortcomings," Puskur warned. "We're not just talking about CFG's departure; we're talking about a systemic failure that has led to this point."
As CFG exits, one thing is clear: the Indian Super League will need significant reforms if it is to survive and flourish in the long term.
The loss of CFG's global network and expertise will leave a gaping hole for Mumbai City FC and other clubs. It also poses a risk to new investors who may now question their decision to throw money into a struggling league.
"Mumbai City Football Club is a huge name with tremendous commercial value," said Shaji Prabhakaran, the former general secretary of the AIFF. "It's a setback for Indian football, and we need to address this crisis as soon as possible."
The country's once-hopeful football league has been dealt another devastating blow with the sudden departure of global investor and owner City Football Group (CFG), whose withdrawal from Indian Super League (ISL) marks a significant escalation in the sport's growing crisis.
Just six months ago, CFG had announced it was divesting its 65% stake in Mumbai City FC, citing "commercial uncertainty" surrounding the league's future. However, few were surprised by this move as the situation on the ground is dire. The 2025-26 ISL season has been delayed indefinitely, with no resumption date set in sight.
For fans and players alike, the implications are severe. With CFG gone, the financial lifeline that kept many clubs afloat – including Mumbai City FC – is now severed. Coaches, staff, and even top foreign talent have begun to leave, citing uncertainty over their future employment prospects. Mumbai supporters like Suresh Khatri can only watch as their team remains grounded.
"This isn't just about the club; it's a problem with the whole system," said Ravi Puskur, owner of FC Goa, another struggling ISL side. "CFG's exit is a serious indictment of our football administration, which has failed to create an environment conducive to sustainable investment."
The situation has long been dire for Indian football, with a reliance on lucrative sponsorships and foreign ownership. Cricket remains the dominant sport in India, making it challenging to attract new investors.
"Indian football governance needs to take stock of its shortcomings," Puskur warned. "We're not just talking about CFG's departure; we're talking about a systemic failure that has led to this point."
As CFG exits, one thing is clear: the Indian Super League will need significant reforms if it is to survive and flourish in the long term.
The loss of CFG's global network and expertise will leave a gaping hole for Mumbai City FC and other clubs. It also poses a risk to new investors who may now question their decision to throw money into a struggling league.
"Mumbai City Football Club is a huge name with tremendous commercial value," said Shaji Prabhakaran, the former general secretary of the AIFF. "It's a setback for Indian football, and we need to address this crisis as soon as possible."
it's like they're not even trying anymore 
city football group leaving Mumbai City FC is huge blow but honestly its been coming 
has to be system failure or something because cricket is still dominating the scene 
and fans are getting frustrated 
need some real investors or reform or whatever 
they r abandoning mumbai city fc already? like 6 months ago they said they were divesting their stake but really they just abandoned ship 
i feel so bad for the fans and players i mean who gets to play in india if the premier leagues r all messed up?! 
and dont even get me started on the cricket thing like what r we gonna do? attract new investors or something but it feels like they're just throwing money at problems instead of fixing them 
. indian football needs major overhaul, it's all about sponsorships and foreign ownership, cricket is still dominating the scene 
. gotta think about reforms ASAP or else mumbai city fc will be gone too 
. and then when things get tough, they bail out on us 
. i mean, indian football is already struggling, what with cricket getting all the attention and all... it's like, we need to figure this stuff out before someone else gets hurt 
. i'm thinking maybe we should try some sort of community funding system or something? idk 
but for now, it just feels like a huge blow to indian football 
mumbai city fc is such a big deal with so much investment from CFG but now they're just ghosting us 
what's going on with the league itself? are we just gonna keep repeating the same mistakes over and over? i'm all for some reform but it feels like the powers that be are too busy making excuses instead of taking action 
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. It’s not just about CFG leaving, it’s about how Indian football governance has failed the players and clubs over the years 
. And what’s crazy is that they have such a huge commercial value as Shaji Prabhakaran said 
. It’s just so frustrating for everyone involved 
. It's not just about CFG, it's about the lack of investment and support for local football clubs 
. We need to get back to basics and focus on developing our own talent 
. It's time for some serious soul-searching from the AIFF and Indian football authorities 
.
. The delay in the 2025-26 season already had everyone on edge, and now it's like the whole thing is coming crashing down 
.
, we need a sustainable future for our own sports 
!
. Indian football needs to get its act together and attract new investors who can bring in some real expertise and cash 
. we need some real changes and solutions, not just more empty promises from people who don't really know what's going on 
... i mean, cricket will always be the winner in india, but can't we try to make football relevant for once? 
... i mean, they've been through so much already and now this? it's just cruel 
.
. All these big investors coming in, but nobody's really looking at the system that's supposed to be in place