Kolkata: After 11 days and 13 matches into a new season of the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s top football body has bizarrely asked participating clubs for their opinion on whether Churchill Brothers can be included.
A letter from All India Football Federation (AIFF) asking all 14 clubs to give their “considered views” on “Churchill Brothers FC Goa participation in the Indian Super League” was sent late on Wednesday.
The letter signed by deputy secretary-general Satyanarayan M acknowledges messages from FC Goa and Sporting Club Delhi on February 13, one day before kick-off of a season severely shortened and massively delayed, which said the clubs had no objection to Churchill Brothers taking part in ISL12. Sporting Delhi, the AIFF letter says, had also listed Churchill Brothers picking up the “additional operational costs” as a condition.
The message from FC Goa CEO Ravi Puskur, which said the club would defer to the collective judgement of other participating clubs, and from Dhruv Sood of Sporting Club Delhi were attached with the AIFF letter. As was an email from club president Churchill Alemao that asks “to include Churchill Brothers FC Goa in the 2026-27 season of the Indian Super League.”
Alemao’s email was sent to AIFF on February 20. In the absence of any clarification from AIFF, it has left the clubs confused. HT has seen the emails and the letter from AIFF.
“I am not sure we have the mandate to decide on a club’s participation for next season,” Mandar Tamhane, CEO NorthEast United, told HT over the phone from Pune.
“And as far as participating this season is concerned, even if I set aside the logistical difficulties and whether it is valid to discuss including a team after the league has begun, I am not aware that the stand of the remaining 12 clubs objecting to their inclusion has changed.”
Tamhane was referring to a letter to AIFF by 14 clubs objecting to Churchill Brothers’ inclusion on February 11. The clubs had said the proposal lacked sporting merit, was not within defined and regulatory framework for such inclusions and would disrupt the schedule. One day later, AIFF’s executive committee rejected the proposal.
Churchill Brothers were provisional winners of 2024-25 I-League till the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that Inter Kashi were champions after the latter had appealed to the tribunal. Based on that Inter Kashi were promoted to ISL12 where they have played two matches. Churchill Brothers’s email, and that of Sproting Club Delhi, said the matter was sub-judice and hence the club be allowed to play this season.
