Punjab FC decide to pay franchise fee despite promotion from I-League

Punjab FC became the first ever Indian club to gain promotion, after winning the I-League last season

After an enthralling performance in the I-League last season, Punjab FC became the first ever club to get promoted to the ISL, and were not obligated to pay any franchise fee in order to play in the Indian top flight. 

“Despite not being obligated to make the payment, Punjab FC have decided to hand out the franchise fee to the Indian Super League,” a source informed Khel Now this afternoon.

All clubs in the ISL, the top-tier league since 2019 replacing I-League, pay an annual franchise fee of Rs 12 crore to Rs 16 crore. Clubs getting promoted to the ISL from the I-League will not have to pay a fee, according to the roadmap presented by the AIFF (2019), which also has the backing of the FSDL and the various stakeholders of ISL.

“The biggest reason behind this decision is that the club doesn’t want to miss out on the central pool revenue in the future,” the source added.

What is the central pool revenue?

All the money that the Indian Super League procures from its sponsorship deals, broadcasting deals and payments, are put together in the central pool revenue. Once all the expenses of the League are met, the remaining money left in the pool after the end of the season, is equally distributed among all the clubs. 

Without paying the franchise fee, Punjab would not have been allowed to take a share from the central pool revenue, but now since they will pay the required fee, the club will rightfully be given their share of revenue starting from this season.

Punjab FC’s preparations ahead of the new season

Punjab FC’s preparations ahead of their first season in the Indian top flight are going pretty well, and the club has retained a number of key players from last season. Also, new signings have been made to further bolster the squad.

The retaining of Luka Majcen is also great news for the fans, who would love to see the Serbian work his magic on the biggest stage in Indian football.

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