Churchill Brothers does not want to return the I-League trophy to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) even though the AIFF has decided to write an email to the Goan club to return it!
The AIFF handed over the trophy to the Goan club in a function on Sunday evening in Goa despite the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) order not to declare Churchill Brothers as the winner of I-League 2025 following an appeal from Inter Kashi.
Deputy General Secretary of the All India Football federation M Satyanarayanan stated, “We got to know about the CAS order by 4:45 PM only on Sunday and by that time we had handed over the trophy. We are consulting our legal department and will shortly write to Churchill to return the trophy.”
Churchill Alemao, the club’s founder president when asked about the issue commented while speaking over the phone, “We won the I-League this season playing on the field, not playing off the field. So, having earned the highest point we have become champions. We deserve it. AIFF handed over the trophy yesterday in a function. Now, the news are there that they will ask us to return the trophy! Is not it a joke?”
Alemao added, “First of all I do not know whether we have received any such email yet. Secondly, nobody can take the trophy back from us even if we receive such mails.”
Alemao also added, “We were victimized in different ways in the I-League this season. The key purpose was to stop us from entering into the ISL. But finally, we overcame all the conspiracies and other hurdles and won the League.”
Meanwhile, Edmund Lalrindika, the Mizoram striker who had a consistent show with Inter Kashi in the I-League is likely to join Kerala Blasters to participate in the ISL next season.
