Fifa imposes ‘players’ registration ban’ on MBSG; Top brass promises to pay the amount to Mariners in ‘solidarity fund’ soon
The All India Football Federation (AIFF), following instruction from FIFA, has imposed a ban on the registration of new Indian footballers for Mohun Bagan Super Giants (MBSG). The circular although has not specifically explained the reason behind the ban, a potential reason is reported to be a failure to make the solidarity payments. Solidarity payments are distributed to all clubs that trained the player between his 12th and 23rd birthdays at a proportional rate depending on how long the player was at each club. In the case of MBSG, it was Jason Cummings whose previous Australian club Central Coast Mariners deserve 10 percent of the footballer’s contract with his current club MBSG in the account of a ‘solidarity fund’ and MBSG has reportedly failed to pay the amount to Cumming’s previous club. However, it is learned that MBSG top brass paid the amount to the previous club in a ‘solidarity fund’ in the first season when Cummings signed for MBSG. But as the ISL Cup and Shield winner has failed to pay the amount this season, the Fifa disciplinary committee has imposed the registration ban on the club. According to sources close to MBSG top brass, the management has already made request to Fifa to send the respective form so that they can fill it up and send the money to Central Coast Mariners as soon as possible. The registration ban will be lifted by the Fifa once MBSG send the solidarity fund money to Central Coast Mariners. Mumbai City FC also received a similar suspension in October 2024. The reason for the imposition of the national ban was along the same lines for the Islanders.
Sudeva FC ties up with VFB Stuttgart; waits for a court order to play in the Second Division I-League
Sudeep Pakrashi Sudeva Delhi has developed a two-year tie-up with German football’s one of the prominent clubs Vfb Stuttgart. After the signing between the two clubs was made in October last year, the project started running the last month and a three-member team from the German club, have come to Delhi on a week-long training and scouting program. Sudeva FC even sent its under-15 team to Germany last year and they had an impressive show against the under-15 Bayern Munich team. The three-member team consist of Matthias Brosamer, Björn Peter the technical coach and Tolgahan Kilit, one of the German club’s most experienced scouts. Significantly, Brosamer was once the national coach of under-21 German team and presently working as VfB Stuttgart’s head of International Youth Development. Anuj Gupta, the co-founder and president of Sudeva FC when asked about the program divulged, “We have made a two-year tie-up now. Purpose is to provide a training of international standard for our potential kids especially for the under-13 and under-15 boys. Along with the training, scouting of potential boys is also going on through Kilit.” Gupta added, “We have a long-term plan about this association where in future potential boys will be scouted, trained at VfB Stuttgart and will also be initiated to get registered with a lower division team to play competitive matches.” The under-17 boys of Sudeva FC reached the final phase of the AIFF this year before the boys reached the final of the RFDL last year. Simultaneously, several footballers from Sudeva FC got national call-ups in different age-groups. Significantly, the state teams from different age-group tournaments like the Santosh Trophy, women’s national, and under-20 national championship have been delivering consistent performance and the teams have been made of most of the Sudeva FC footballers. However, regarding the obstacles in the case of the senior team Sudeva FC was not allowed to continue in the I-League-2 in 2024-25 even though they finished in the third position in the second division I-League in 2023-24. Gupta explained, “The AIFF allowed us to participate in the second division I-League in 2023-24. But after we finished in the third position in the League that year, AIFF alleged against us for violating the rules and imposed a ban on our participation in the 2024-25 second division League. So we moved to Delhi High Court against the AIFF ban and awaiting the order regarding our participation in the coming second division I-League in 2025-26.” However, regarding the senior team, Sudeva FC is planning to rope in also a German coach for its senior squad. The coaching team may have an Indian coach also. The club is in a process to build up a new senior team for this year.
Harry Kane wins first career title as Bayern Munich becomes Bundesliga champion
The ‘curse’ has finally been over. Harry Kane can now celebrate his first career title after Bayern Munich became Bundesliga champion for the 34th time with a little help from Freiburg on Sunday. Freiburg drew with second-placed Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 to leave Bayern an unassailable eight points clear of the 2024 champion with two rounds of the German league remaining. Kane had never won a title in a career of runner-up finishes and individual top scorer awards with Tottenham and England, leading some to speak of a “curse” against a player considered one of the world’s best forwards. Kane was ready to celebrate Saturday when Bayern looked set to win 3-2 in Leipzig. But Yussuf Poulsen equalized with the last kick of the game for Leipzig to draw 3-3 and postpone Bayern’s party for one day at least. “Next week, Harry!” teammate Thomas Mller wrote on Instagram. He didn’t have to wait that long. Leverkusen played without conviction in Freiburg, knowing that second place was already secured and that it only had a mathematical chance of defending its title with Bayern having a far superior goal difference. Maximilian Eggestein fired the home team ahead before the break and an own-goal from Piero Hincapie after it put Freiburg firmly in control. It is Bayern’s record-extending 34th German championship including the first for the club in 1932. All the others came after the Bundesliga’s formation in 1963.
SRH ropes in ‘history-maker’ in Ranji Trophy as a replacement of Smaran Ravichandran
Vidarbha all-rounder Harsh Dubey has joined the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the remainder of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The 22-year-old replaced Smaran Ravichandran, who is already ruled out of the injury. Dubey will join the Sunrizers at Rs 30 lakhs. Earlier, Ravichandran was roped in as a replacement for Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who played two games before missing out due to injury. Dubey represents Vidarbha in domestic cricket, having taken 127 wickets and scored 941 runs across 16 T-20s, 20 List-A, and 18 first-class matches. Dubey scripted history after setting the record for most wickets in a single edition of the Ranji Trophy. In the 2024-25 edition of the first-class tournament, Dubey took 69 wickets from 10 matches at an economy rate of 2.66 with seven five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket hauls to show for his efforts. Based on his stupendous performance, Vidarbha went on to become the Ranji champions for the third time. They won the final against Kerala in February at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. In the previous edition of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Dubey took only four wickets from six games at an economy rate of 7.50. The Maharashtra-born Dubey also has nine half-centuries to his name in first-class and List-A cricket with a top score of 76 to his name.
