The All India (AIFF) Football Federation asked Churchill Brothers to return the i-League trophy, which was introduced by the club, even though the Goa Football Association (GFA) questioned the justification that awarded silver, despite the order from the Judicial Court for Sport (CAS).
On Sunday, hours after CAS based in Switzerland remained a decision to announce AFF Churchill Brothers as the I-League champions and forbade it to perform any formal ceremony medals, the National Federation awarded the Guan Club winners.
Deputy Secretary General AIFF M Satyanarayan introduced the trophy to the players Churchill Brothers and later said that the Federation learned about the CAS command only after the ceremony, because its secretariat was closed on Sunday.
But on Monday he was forced to ask Churchill to return the trophy.
“We wrote Churchill Brothers on Monday to return the i-League trophy,” the AIFF PTI source said on the condition of anonymity.
“We are obliged to follow the order of CAS. Let CAS decide on this matter and after the decision we pass the trophy.”
Meanwhile, President Gfa Caitano Fernandes wrote a letter to the members of the AIFF Executive Committee on Monday to organize an “urgent investigation to ignore the CA command”.
“… The decision to continue with the presentation in the obvious ignoring of the CAS directive brings AIFF serious embarrassment. Ignoring the command to CAS would undoubtedly have serious consequences for the AIFF and the reputation of Indian football on the international scene,” Fernandes wrote.
“That is why I call on the weighted members of the Executive Committee to treat this matter with the highest seriousness they deserve. The complex and impartial probe must be immediately started to explore … the reasons that come from this event.”
He also claimed that he was not given any communication concerning the presentation of the I-League Trophy presentation after originally invited to the Sunday ceremony. He said that AIFF showed a “unacceptable level of poor treatment of GFA”.
“On the evening of April 26, I received an e-mail from Mr. Satyanaryanan, who invited me, in my position as President GFA and a member of the league committee who took part in the presentation of the trophy to take place in Goa 27th.
Fernandes said that he did not receive any further communication about the presentation of the trophy and later learned that the ceremony had already been “completely bypassed and the presence of GFA”.
He demanded a comprehensive and impartial probe for reasons why she did not disclose the details of GFA presentation and “complete ignorance of GFA”.
Satyanarayan asked about Fernandes’ claim and said, “It was unintentional (development). The trophie was to be submitted 26 April, but Churchill said to be made on April 27.
“They (Churchill) also didn’t give any place at first. So I didn’t know the place in advance.
“Later Churchill also wanted the ceremony to be small. I just landed in Goa and immediately on the way I went to the place to present the trophy. So, on my part there was no intention to cause inconvenience to Mr. Fernandes.”
Churchill Brothers finished intermediately at the top of the table with 40 points after the last round 6 April. Their title and the Indian Super League, however, were subject to the result of the disputed points of Inter Kashi from their match 13. January against the Namdhari SC, which won 2-0.
The AIFF Disciplinary Committee gave 3-0 victories and three points Inter Kashi after he decided that Namdhari had built an “unfit player”.
This decision would bring Inter Kashi to 42 points, enough to get the title. However, the Appeal Commission later issued the command of the Disciplinary Committee “Initial and In Misze” until the final hearing.
After the delayed trial, including the deferred negotiations of April 12, for the Namdhari Council with the citation of the “illness”, the Appeal Committee AFF on 18 April canceled the order of the Disciplinary Commission and decided in favor of Churchill.
On the basis of the decision on the Appeal Committee AIFF, Churchill Brothers declared I-League champions.
Published:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
29 April 2025
