Indian Super League (ISL) champion Mohun Bagan Super Giant is unlikely to attend the meeting scheduled with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and other clubs on August 7.
Sources inside the club have denied receiving any invitation for the meeting and maintained that if one were to arrive, Bagan’s presence in the national capital for the meeting on Thursday is improbable.
“The club knows that it is a deadlock situation where a solution will come only after the Supreme Court’s judgement. In such a scenario, it becomes almost futile to have discussions without any way forward,” a source privy to the developments told Sportstar.
Meanwhile, East Bengal, the other Kolkata giant, has taken the opposite route, expressing eagerness to discuss with the Federation’s top brass and clubs.
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“We received the letter today, and we are eager to attend. We are discussing with the higher authority at the club to come to a conclusion,” Debabrata Sarkar, East Bengal’s club official, said.
The future of the ISL remains uncertain after the Football Sports Development Limited—the league’s organiser—and the AIFF failed to reach an agreement on the Master Rights Agreement.
With the Supreme Court stalling further negotiations until it rules on the AIFF constitution, most clubs have been left without any league football.
As a result, some franchises have taken contingency measures—ranging from temporarily suspending operations (Bengaluru FC) to offering short-term player contracts (Jamshedpur FC).
The meeting on Thursday will primarily address this concern, with possible discussions on hosting the Super Cup later this year as a stopgap measure until the Supreme Court reaches a decision—a way to keep the clubs operational.
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The Super Cup is typically held as the final tournament of the season, but there have previously been talks about preponing it and even replacing it with the Federation Cup.
“The Super Cup continues as planned, and its scheduling will depend on the finalised league (ISL) calendar,” Kalyan Chaubey, the AIFF president, had earlier told Sportstar in an interview.
Only two clubs have confirmed competitive fixtures after the Durand Cup in a window — September to December — that typically served as the slot for the ISL: Mohun Bagan and FC Goa.
Bagan, having won the ISL Shield last season, qualified for the group stages of the AFC Champions League Two (ACL 2) and has games planned at least from September to December.
FILE PHOTO: Ravi Puskur, the director of football at FC Goa, will represent the club at the meeting.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu/EMMANUAL YOGINI
FILE PHOTO: Ravi Puskur, the director of football at FC Goa, will represent the club at the meeting.
| Photo Credit:
The Hindu/EMMANUAL YOGINI
Goa, meanwhile, plays Al-Seeb from Oman in the preliminary stages of (ACL 2) on August 13 and can potentially feature in the group stages of the Challenge League, scheduled till the end of the year.
The Gaurs, however, will be a part of the meeting, through their Director of Football, Ravi Puskur.
