Kolkata, July 22 -- The 134th edition of Durand Cup kicks off here Wednesday with East Bengal facing South United FC amid a cloud of uncertainty surrounding the upcoming top-tier domestic football season.
The pre-season action will begin against the backdrop of a stalemate between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) over the renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA), which governs the operations and commercial structure of the top-tier Indian Super League.
The MRA expires on December 8, and with no breakthrough yet, the very future of India's top-tier league remains in limbo ahead of its scheduled September start.
In the midst of this impasse, the Durand Cup has retained its signific...