Now Reading: Churchill Brothers buy Jamshedpur FC, enter ISL
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Churchill Brothers buy Jamshedpur FC, enter ISL
Tata Steel has sold its entire stake in Jamshedpur Football and Sporting Private Limited to Churchill Brothers for a token Rs 100, transferring the club's ISL sporting licence, 12 players, and two…
The Story in Brief
Tata Steel has sold its entire stake in Jamshedpur Football and Sporting Private Limited to Churchill Brothers for a token Rs 100, transferring the club's ISL sporting licence, 12 players, and two coaches. Churchill will pay the Rs 1.1 crore participation fee to the AIFF by Friday's deadline, ensuring its entry into the 2026-27 ISL season starting September 4.
Jamshedpur FC had disbanded its first team on July 31 after missing the first installment of Rs 55 lakh. The Deccan Chronicle reports that the transfer includes all player and coaching staff contracts from September 1. Churchill, a two-time I-League champion, was earlier relegated to I-League 2 after pulling out of the 2025-26 season.
The Indian Opinion
The Churchill-Jamshedpur deal is being framed as a corporate exit and a Goan fairy tale, but the real story is the AIFF's chaotic league structure. A club can pull out hours before a payment deadline, yet another can walk in days later for a token Rs 100 and a Rs 1.1 crore fee. That is not stability. The test is whether Churchill can actually field a competitive team under the inherited contracts and whether the AIFF will enforce its own deadlines next season.
Sources (2): deccanchronicle.com, thehindubusinessline.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
