The ongoing stalemate at Mohammedan Sporting Club over the players' salaries could not be solved even on Tuesday as the footballers’ absence in the training was also seen on the day on the day. The black-and-white brigade will be playing their crucial away match against Mumbai City FC in the ISL on 26th January.

Mohammedan Sporting’s original investor Bunker Hill Sports sent a notice last week asking the club to transfer 61 percent of the shares of Mohammedan Sporting Club Pvt. Ltd by 31st January. The company also mentioned that if club fails to do so the company will stop investing money for the team. 

The company's director Deepak Singh revealed, “The agreement where transferring 61 percent share was mentioned was approved by the board. Then our initiative brought Shrachi Sports and it was also mentioned in the agreement that co-investor would also be handed over 30 percent of the shares. The approval of this agreement was made three years ago and we have been repeatedly asking the club's top brass for the last three years to transfer the share but it has not been transferred. Today, Shrachi Sports is asking for their deserving shares. How can we give them unless we get the 61 percent of the shares?” 

He added, “The key reason issuing the notice and media statement is to inform the footballers that we are not liable for this stalemate.”

Singh also divulged that company, despite not getting its shares, did not bother to spend money (nearly Rs 60 crores) for the senior team in the last three years before Shrachi Sports has spent 15 crores for the team this year. 

Incidentally, Shrachi Sports has also issued a statement explaining that the company is concerned about the stalemate. It has been written, 'We are caught in the crossfire between the club and original investor Bunker Hill. We already have spent 50 percent of our committed investment into the Mohammedan Sporting Club Pvt. Ltd with the sole motive of making a team that is competitive and can repay the faith of fans. Also, the MoU that we had signed with the club has expired. We too have not been issued any shares by the club despite repeated promises to do so.'

The lawyers from Bunker Hill, and Shrachi Sports and Mohammedan Sporting’s legal committee members had a meeting in Kolkata on the day. 

When asked about the issue, the club's one of the vice-presidents Qamaruddin explained, "The club needs an 'undertaking' from Bunker Hill that they will give the amount to Shrachi Sports it has spent so far and approximately Rs 1.5 crore which was used up for other reasons. Once the club gets a copy of the undertaking it will hand over the 61 percent shares. We are waiting for the copy of the undertaking."

However it is believed that Bunker Hill is unlikely to give any undertaking citing the logic that the agreement which was made and approved three years ago does not have any such clause where the investor has to give any undertaking.