At a time when Indian football is making waves with the launch of Indian Super league (ISl), country’s one of three iconic football clubs Mohammedan Sporting is facing an uncertain future. Faced with acute financial crisis, the 123-year-old club is forced to shut down its football activities for this season. The club has not been able to pay wages to its staff for the last three months.
Mohammedan Sporting have opted against playing in the second division I-league and also pulled out of Durand Cup football tournament beginning next week (October 28).
“We will not play in the I-league and Durand Cup in the upcoming season as the club is not able to meet club licensing criteria of the AIFF. We will make the club ready and develop the infrastructure and take part in the (second division) I-league from 2015-16 onwards,” Mohammedan Sporting president Sultan Ahmed was quoted as saying by PTI.
In May this year, the Kolkata outfit was barred from competing in the I-league after failing to meet AFC’s club licensing criteria.
Under the AIFF’s Club licensing Regulations, the teams are expected to meet several legal, administrative, sporting, infrastructure and financial criteria.
licensing is an annual process where all clubs, eligible to compete based on sporting merit, need to have a license under the AIFF’s Indian Club licensing system.
Asked whether the club’s financial crisis is due to the chitfund scam that has hit the state, Ahmed said: “It’s been there for a long time not only for us but for many football clubs in India. But we have managed so far.”
Kolkata Maidan-based Mohammedan Sporting, known as one of the ‘Big Three’ of Indian football, shares a history only matched by the other two ‘big’ clubs of the city -- Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.
But in recent times, the club’s reputation had taken a massive beating as it couldn’t put together a decent team and was steadily overtaken by rival clubs. Unlike EB and Bagan, sponsored by Vijay Mallya’s United Breweries, Sporting don’t have any big sponsor.
Another club official said it was reportedly running losses to the tune of Rs 1.5 to 2 crore. “Unless our sponsors don’t provide us necessary financial support, it’s not possible for us to go and play the Durand Cup. We will play the tournament only if they help us,” the official said.
“Now because of the AIFF rules, we cannot play the Federation Cup too,” he said referring to their I-league relegation last season that bars the club from participating in the Federation Cup.
Ahmed however said the club would participate in next season’s Calcutta Football league Premier Division and also the IFA Shield besides taking part in invitational tournaments.
The governing body of football in West Bengal, the IFA, said Mohammedan Sporting were yet to inform that they were stopping football activities for this season. “So far, we have no information. If this happens, it will be unfortunate. Mohammedan Sporting is one club that has a pan-India support base and any decision like this is sad,” IFA president Subrata Dutta was quoted as saying by NDTV.com.
Dutta said neither the IFA nor the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has ever bailed out any club that is struggling financially. “All Indian clubs arrange for their own sponsors. With such a brand name, Mohammedan Sporting should have been able to get funds and sponsors,” Dutta said.