New Delhi, Aug. 5 -- When the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on 30 July that India would face Brazil in a historic FIFA friendly, excitement surged among fans, players and the wider football community. For the first time since Argentina played Venezuela in Kolkata in 2010, the country will once again witness a top-10-ranked nation play on Indian soil.

After what happened during Lionel Messi's visit to Kolkata last December, the news of hosting five-time champions Brazil spread pure joy nationwide. The celebration, however, was short-lived. A day later, one of the Indian Super League (ISL) clubs, Jamshedpur FC, shut down its first-team operations, thus sending shockwaves across the country.

It is a huge blow to not just t...