Diamond Harbour is not in the ISL; the country's premier league will take place in October featuring 13 teams

XtraTime Web Desk

The upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) will be played without Diamond Harbour FC after the newly promoted Bengal club failed to submit its participation fee and the required documents within the extended deadline.

Wednesday was the final day for Diamond Harbour FC to complete the formalities. Initially, all 14 participating teams were required to submit the second instalment of the participation fee and the necessary documents by August 14. The deadline was extended until Wednesday specifically to accommodate Diamond Harbour FC, but the club failed to meet the revised deadline as well.

As a result, the ISL will now feature 13 teams instead of the planned 14.

The new ISL season is expected to begin in October. The tournament was originally scheduled to start on September 4, but it has been pushed back by around a month. According to a senior official of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the league will begin after October 6, following the FIFA international window from September 21 to October 6.

While Diamond Harbour FC could not complete the process, Churchill Brothers submitted the full participation fee within the original August 14 deadline. Jamshedpur FC has also reportedly transferred its entire ownership stake to Churchill Brothers.

Meanwhile, there has been displeasure within the federation over reports claiming that the AIFF would have to pay a hefty fine for not participating in the ASEAN Championship. Federation sources have indicated that the reports are incorrect.

The AIFF is also reportedly exploring the possibility of arranging another international friendly for India. Alongside the proposed friendly against Brazil, the federation is understood to be trying to organise a match against Cape Verde as well..