NEW DELHI: Hero I-League defending champions Minerva Punjab will have its petition come up on Friday in the Delhi High Court, which has challenged the All India Football Federation (AIFF) over its refusal to postpone their match against Real Kashmir FC, which was scheduled to take place in Srinagar on Monday, Press Trust of India reports.
Minerva did not participate in the match after officially stating that the home club and the AIFF did not provide any written security assurances from the home ministry or any relevant army or local authorities following the Pulwama terror attacks last week.
The club is demanding the match to be postponed or be moved to a neutral venue. Amitabh Tiwari, Minerva’s lawyer said that it could approach the I-League organising committee only on the orders of the court.
“If the AIFF wants to settle the case at the court on the day of hearing, we are fine. But if the court directs us to first go to the I-League committee and see if it is possible to sort out the matter there, we will do so,” Tiwari told PTI.
Minerva has alleged that the AIFF has acted arbitrarily and against the principles of equity, which violate the regulations set by the I-League as well as the FIFA Safety Guidelines. It also called out the governing body of Indian football for its supposed double standards as it approved the postponement of the Real Kashmir match against East Bengal over increased snowfall.
“If AIFF can postpone the match with East Bengal due to snow then they should have taken the lead and postponed the match for 7-10 days.
“It’s ironical that the entire world plays football on snow but on that pretext the match with East Bengal was postponed by almost 3 weeks. The decision smacks of hypocrisy on AIFF’s part.
“Minerva’s fears are well-founded and a request to postpone the match by 2 weeks would not affect any party especially in light of the fact that it has been done before for completely avoidable reasons.
“The decision of AIFF not to postpone the match is akin to forcing the players and spectators to play Russian Roulette with their lives,” the petition has stated.
The AIFF is yet to call the match a forfeited one by Minerva and all eyes are now on the I-League organising committee and the court to settle the dispute.
East Bengal seek postponement
Meanwhile, in a related development, Kolkata heavyweights East Bengal have appealed to the AIFF to postpone their tie with Real Kashmir, scheduled for February 28.
Unlike Minerva, though, East Bengal said they won’t defy the AIFF and will travel to Srinagar if they are ‘forced’ to. The reasons are not far to seek. While Minerva has had a poor run this season, languishing in ninth place on the league table, East Bengal and Real Kashmir are level on points after 16 matches and are firmly in contention for the title, along with leaders Chennai City.
Debabrata Sarkar, a senior club official, said they won’t drag the AIFF to court but hoped the match would be deferred on ‘humanitarian grounds’. “We are appealing to AIFF to consider this on humanitarian grounds. A team who is in the title race cannot play under such circumstances. We will not take any legal steps. If they force us, we will play in that case,” Sarkar said.
The match between Real Kashmir and East Bengal has already been postponed once. It was originally scheduled to be played on February 10 but was postponed following heavy snowfall in the valley. The tie is crucial for both teams, who are aiming to win their maiden I-League title.
Sarkar said their six foreign players and Spanish coach Alejandro Menendez have expressed concerns over travelling to Srinagar. “We are not here to fight with AIFF. We want to save football and footballers. If something happens to the players it will be a very bad advertisement for Indian football. But if AIFF forces us then we will try to convince our players to go. Our coach is a foreigner and we have six foreign players who have raised their concerns over playing there (in Srinagar).”
The AIFF has maintained they chose not to reschedule the matches after receiving necessary assurances from local security agencies. They have called for a League Committee meeting in New Delhi, most likely on February 25, to take a final call on the issue.
Bengaluru FC offer support
Even as East Bengal and Minerva raised concerns over their players’ safety, former champions Bengaluru FC offered to play an exhibition match against Real Kashmir in Srinagar to support the I-League debutants.
Real Kashmir thanked the ISL club and invited them in March for a friendly fixture, assuring the guests “the most electric football atmosphere”. Bengaluru FC owner Parth Jindal made his offer on social media on Tuesday.
“Thank you @ParthJindal11 and @bengalurufc. Let’s do this. We and the people of Kashmir would be more than glad to host you. March? What say? We promise the most electric football atmosphere! Let’s play to heal. Let’s pray together for the departed and share the grief of bereaved.”
