SC Bengaluru club has moved to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for relief from relegation from the I-League, placing it in the same realm of uncertainty that the Indian Super League finds itself in, albeit for different reasons.
On Tuesday, the appeal committee gave a further two weeks to clubs for filing written replies and set the next date of hearing on 23rd September, effectively stopping the entire relegation process in the I-League, adding to the All India Football Federation’s woes.
It prompted SCB to drag the AIFF to the top-most court in sporting cases over procedural delay in deciding on relegation, according to reports from News9 Sports.
As per the league table, Delhi FC is the other team to be relegated along with SCB, after finishing in the bottom two places of the 2024-25 I-League, following which the AIFF’s appeal committee issued a stay-order on their drop on 27th May.
SCB has sought relief at the Swiss court for this inordinate delay, making it the third time that AIFF was taken to Lausanne for last season’s I-League.
On 18th July, CAS had decided on the second division’s championship too, judging Inter Kashi as the I-League winner over Churchill Brothers, and would now determine which teams would be relegated to the second division.
Not only did the federation lose both the cases against Kashi, but they were fined heavily too, putting considerable stress on its stretched coffers. Despite repeated reminders, the AIFF is yet to hand over the I-League trophy and the prize money to Inter Kashi.
“Yes, they have gone to CAS. They are a club that got relegated and are trying to stay back in the I-League. They feel they have a case, so let’s see what CAS decides. As the matter is sub-judice, it won’t be wise to say anything more,” an AIFF official said.
SCB (21 points in 22 matches) has demanded three points as per tournament rules against Namdhari FC for fielding an ‘ineligible’ player against them, and should CAS endorse their claim, Aizawl FC (23 points) would go down.
Though the ISL has been put on an indefinite hold due to a contractual logjam and depends on the Supreme Court directive for a way forward, no information has been forthcoming on when the I-League would start.
Clubs remain idle on the transfer market, which closes on August 31, and amidst the prevailing air of uncertainty in Indian football, none is willing to make any commitment for the I-League that usually runs from October to March.
For the third time in the last two weeks, the league committee would meet on Wednesday to decide on Sudeva Delhi FC’s request to be reinstated in I-League 2 despite failing to comply with the disciplinary committee’s registration ban.
