Trying to force us out: Odisha FC owner slams government over Kalinga Stadium row
(Courtesy : ISL Media)
The Juggernauts already refused to participate in the 2025 Durand Cup
Odisha FC owner Rohan Sharma has hit out at the Odisha Sports Association for their behavior towards his club amid the uncertainty of hosting matches at the Kalinga Stadium in the future. The Juggernauts have been able to host all their home matches at the Kalinga Stadium, receiving a lot of aid from the state government in terms of using the state-of-the-art facilities at the stadium.
However, it appears that the new members of the Odisha Sports Association have given a cold shoulder to the Odisha FC owner in his attempts to get clarity over his side’s future at the stadium. Rohan Sharma took to social media to complain about the kind of surprising treatment he and his club have received over the possibility of continuing to use the Kalinga Stadium for the 2025-26 season and beyond.
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Odisha FC owner reacted to the Odisha Sports Association Secretary and Director recently visiting the Sports Science Center of the Kalinga Stadium to check out the facilities and equipment. He wrote on X (Twitter):
“It’s funny because we (AGAIN) sent a letter asking if we can use Kalinga (even on a rental basis), but we haven’t received a response, even though the deadline was over a week ago We are done trying with this govt in Odisha. Poorly run compared to the previous admin.
“While I know, nothing has been resolved for the season. I wanted to at least be aware if Kalinga is available for Odisha FC. To receive no response (either positive or negative) is deeply insulting. It’s like they are trying to force us out of Odisha.”
Odisha FC started playing their Indian Super League (ISL) and AFC competitions home matches at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar since 2019. That year, the Delhi Dynamos were rebranded into Odisha FC and the club started operating as a new entity in the Indian Super League matches as well.
Uncertainty over ISL future
With that being said, there seems to be quite a bit of uncertainty on whether Odisha FC will be allowed to play their home matches at the Kalinga Stadium and be able to use the facilities on a rental basis for the 2025-26 season and beyond.
The Juggernauts have already refused to participate in the 2025 Durand Cup because of the uncertainty over the future of the ISL, with the club yet to make any major foreign signings due to the Indian football top-flight’s current predicament.
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