I-League 2022–23 champions Punjab FC got promotion to India’s top-tier football league. Though Punjab FC was not obliged to pay the franchise fee, they have decided to hand out the fees to the Indian Super League.
Punjab FC got promoted to the ISL following the AIFF’s guidelines:
All the ISL clubs have to pay an annual franchise fee of Rs 12 crore to Rs 16 crore. According to AIFF’s guidelines, the I-League clubs that get promoted to the ISL will not have to pay the franchise fee. Last year’s I-League winner PFC became the first-ever team to get the promotion.
Hence, PFC had no need to pay the franchise fee to get into the ISL. But they decide to pay the fee.
Punjab FC decides to pay franchise fee – Why?
Significantly, there is a certain reason for which Punjab FC has decided to pay the franchise fee. The club does not want to miss out on the central pool revenue in the future.
The clubs, which have paid the franchise fee, are given an annual share of the central pool revenue. All the money that ISL gets from its sponsorship deals and broadcasting deals is put together in a central pool revenue. After completing all the expenses of the league, the remaining money left in the pool is equally distributed among all the participating clubs.
Punjab does not want to miss out on the central pool revenue. So, they have decided to pay the franchise fee. This will allow them to get a share of the revenue pool starting from this season.
Punjab’s preparation ahead of their maiden ISL season:
Ahead of the upcoming season, Punjab FC signed Amarjit Singh Kiyam, Nikhil Prabhu, Prasanth K, and other familiar Indian faces. They have also retained the core of their team from last season, including key foreign signings Kiran Limbu, Luka Majcen, and Juan Mera. They have begun their preparation for the new season and are hopeful for an eventful debut season.
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