ISL fallout: India captain Sandesh Jhingan, other FC Goa players accept pay cut

Close on the heels of foreign players leaving clubs due to the inordinate delay in the start of the Indian Super League (ISL), Indian players are feeling the heat of the game's commercial side. 

FC Goa, which lost their Spanish forward Iker Guarrotxena to Indonesian side Persijap Jepara, has announced that their remaining Indian players have accepted pay cut for the truncated ISL season beginning February 14. Players, including India captain Sandesh Jhingan, and support staff have agreed to the cut, which the club called a "selfless" act.

"In a moment of real uncertainty for Indian football, our club had honest and difficult conversations about the challenges we are facing. What followed was something that made us incredibly proud," the club said in a statement issued late on Thursday.

"Our First Team players and Technical Staff stepped forward, stood together, and chose to support the club by agreeing to reduce their remuneration during this period. This was not an easy decision. It was a selfless one,"  AIFF Super Cup champion team said.

"Deeply humbled by this gesture and immensely grateful for the unity, character, and commitment shown by the group," the club added.

The pay cut call comes weeks after Bengaluru FC's owner Parth Jindal requested the players to "make sacrifices" in view of the "financial burden" the club will shoulder to participate in the delayed ISL. He had then said the franchise may have to "shut shop for good" without the players' support. 

The situation comes as a double whammy for Indian players in the ISL. Unlike foreign players who can look for options in Asian and other world leagues, home-grown players can only play in the country and have to agree to clubs' demands to get playing time.

ISL 2025-26 was thrown into disarray after AIFF and its commercial partner FSDL could not agree on the terms of a fresh master rights agreement before the earlier one expired on December 8, 2025.

The national federation's attempts to find a new commercial partner failed spectacularly when it received no bid for the tender it floated.

But 14 clubs agreed to a compromise formula following the intervention of the Union sports minister and decided to play a truncated ISL with 91 matches set to be played on a home-and-away basis. Each club will play 13 matches. The fixture is likely to be announced next week.