Following Jamshedpur FC’s decision to withdraw from the Indian Super League ahead of the 2026/27 season, former Indian captain Sunil Chhetri has called TATA, the owners of Jamshedpur FC, unfortunate. He referred to Jamshedpur FC’s decision to withdraw from the ISL season as a ‘punch to the gut’.
Earlier, the football group announced on Friday that it will no longer be a part of the top flight of Indian football. The club said it will shut down operations after the ongoing Durand Cup campaign.
Chhetri, who currently plays for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), has lauded the Tata Group for its longstanding contribution to Indian football. The veteran striker highlighted the conglomerate’s role in supporting the sport through initiatives such as the Tata Football Academy (TFA) and Jamshedpur FC.
Chhetri noted that being a stakeholder in Indian football requires sustained commitment and praised the Tata Group for playing an important role in the sport’s development over the years.
“Being a stakeholder in Indian football takes a lot, and it has been that way for some time. The Tata Group, first through TFA and later through Jamshedpur FC, has been one of the pillars supporting Indian football,” Chhetri said in a social media post.
‘Punch To The Gut’: Chhetri On TATA’s Indian Football Exit
The veteran forward pointed to the Tata Group’s longstanding involvement in the sport, particularly through the Tata Football Academy (TFA) and Jamshedpur FC, and described the company as one of the key pillars supporting Indian football.
“It takes a lot to be a stakeholder in Indian football. It has been like that for some time now. All of you at the TATA Group, through TFA first, and then Jamshedpur FC, have been one of our pillars,” Chhetri said on social media.
Reacting to the decision, Chhetri said the impact would extend beyond the club itself, with players and members of the coaching and support staff now facing uncertainty over their futures.
It takes a lot to be a stakeholder in Indian football. It has been like that for some time now. But when everything around looks like it will crumble, you bank on family to hold on to each other. And more often than not, it is the elders in the house that you turn to, for…
— Sunil Chhetri (@chetrisunil11) August 2, 2026 ">
"To know that Jamshedpur has folded first team operations is a punch to the gut. The players and staff will be without clubs, and they might find one by the end of it all. The League will have a team less, but the season will go on," he said.
However, Chhetri stressed that the larger concern was the Tata Group no longer being involved at the highest level of Indian football. He described such a development as potentially damaging for the sport, particularly in the absence of an obvious alternative. "However, not having the TATA group involved in the top tier of Indian football, that would be a disaster with no alternative," Chhetri added.
Story first published: Sunday, August 2, 2026, 18:21 [IST]
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