PANAJI
In a discussion at the GFDC Football Summit, Ravi Puskur, CEO of FC Goa, outlined the pressing financial challenges the club faces in organizing matches and maintaining sustainability in Indian football. Speaking about the costs associated with hosting an ISL match, Puskur revealed that it costs FC Goa approximately INR 45 lakhs per game before the first whistle blows. This figure encompasses various expenses, including stringent club licensing and ISL requirements.
“Our matchday expenses are high, and we’re only able to recoup about INR 4-5 lakhs in revenue from ticket sales,” Puskur stated. “This means we are losing around INR 40 lakhs per game. With 12 to 15 matches a season, the losses add up significantly.” He stressed that while profitability isn't the main goal, the club is striving for self-sustainability”a distant target under current circumstances.
Puskur emphasized that to keep Goan football vibrant and accessible, the club needs government support, particularly in terms of infrastructure costs. He noted, “If we can reduce the ground charges, we could immediately lower ticket prices by INR 50. Our goal is to make the sport more accessible to the public. If people lose interest, we will fail as a football club, and that will impact the entire league.”
Currently, the cheapest ticket for an FC Goa match is INR 200, while other teams offer tickets as low as INR 50. Puskur acknowledged this discrepancy, explaining that high operational costs dictate ticket pricing. “We don’t want to price people out; we want to make football accessible,” he reiterated.
Puskur also highlighted that FC Goa is a significant revenue contributor to the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG). However, he warned that if financial trends do not improve, the club might have to consider relocating to a smaller venue in the next few years. “We can’t continue to absorb these losses without support,” he said.
Echoing Puskur's concerns, Mandar Tamhane, CEO of NorthEast United FC, shared insights on how government support has aided his club. “In NorthEast, we use our stadium free of charge, while in Goa, FC Goa faced stadium rental costs of INR 9-10 lakhs during the pandemic seasons,” Tamhane explained. He highlighted that such financial relief from the government is crucial for professional clubs in India, which are often struggling financially.
Tamhane praised the NorthEast government's commitment to sports, mentioning that they recently provided his club with over 11 acres of land to establish a residential academy. “The focus on promoting sports in the NorthEast is commendable, and it creates a more favorable environment for clubs,” he stated.
Puskur further elaborated on the need for better infrastructure, saying that while he doesn’t believe it’s solely the government’s responsibility to provide facilities, the current financial ecosystem of Indian football is not strong enough for clubs to develop their own infrastructure. “Building a stadium would cost close to INR 200 crores, which isn’t feasible given the current financial model of the ISL,” he noted.
Instead, FC Goa has focused on improving existing grounds. Puskur recounted their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, where they invested INR 1 crore to transform the Salvador do Mundo Panchayat Ground into a top-quality pitch. However, after two years of renting the facility, the cost increased dramatically from INR 25,000 to INR 3 lakhs per month, making it unsustainable for the club.
“After investing so much, we expected some support from the local bodies, but we lost faith when costs skyrocketed,” he lamented.
Both Puskur and Tamhane agree that collaborative efforts among stakeholders”including government bodies and local football associations”are essential for fostering a more sustainable future for Indian football. Puskur concluded, “If we can align our efforts with support from the entire ecosystem, we can make football accessible and vibrant once again in Goa and beyond.”
