A fresh twist befell the fate of the I-League 2024-25 title winner with the All India Football Federation’s Appeals Committee passing a new order regarding the eligibility of Inter Kashi’s foreign player Mario Barco.
What is the matter surrounding Mario Barco’s eligibility?
In April, Namdhari FC filed a complaint with the AIFF, claiming that Inter Kashi allegedly registered a ‘seventh foreign player’ in its squad during the 2024-25 season, violating articles 6.5.6 and 6.5.7 of I-League regulations, to allow only six registered foreign players.
According to the clause, a club cannot bring back a foreign player, who has already been replaced by another foreign player, in the same season.
Namdhari pointed out that Spanish striker Barco was replaced from Inter Kashi’s squad, citing injury by a seventh foreign player (Serbia’s Matija Babovic) on match day 9 and then brought back for match day 15 as a replacement for Juan Perez del Pino, whose contract was mutually terminated on February 1.
Churchill Brothers and Real Kashmir, against whom Barco played in the 2-2 draw (March 30) and in the 1-3 loss (March 2) , have also appealed to the AIFF regarding the ineligible player.
What does it mean with respect to the fate of I-League title winner?
With the new order, Churchill Brothers will remain top but move two points up to 42, while Inter Kashi, which was second will drop down to fourth with 35 points. Real Kashmir will move to second place with 37 points (39).
Churchill Brothers will then be declared the winner of I-League 2024-25 season.
What is Inter Kashi’s response?
Inter Kashi responded via a statement saying that it would appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) while adding that it had followed the league regulations ‘by which it is bound by letter and spirit’.
It added, “The club is flabbergasted that such simple rules and regulations can be twisted and misinterpreted in such a manner through which the club is now suffering without any fault of its own.”
What about Inter Kashi’s other appeal to CAS?
Inter Kashi had earlier lodged an appeal with CAS regarding the ineligibility of Namdhari’s Cledson Carvalho da Silva (De). Inter claimed that De had featured in the match on January 13 despite him being suspended for accumulating four yellow cards.
The AIFF Disciplinary Committee had considered the fixture to be a forfeit for Namdhari and awarded three points for Inter but the Appeals Committe stayed the decision on March 27.
After Inter’s appeal, CAS had ordered AIFF not to declare Churchill Brothers as I-League champion.
