The All India Football Federation, in accordance with Fifa directives, has imposed a national ban on the registration of new players on Indian Super League club Mohun Bagan Super Giant (MBSG), the reigning 2024-25 ISL champions.
The AIFF circular, accessed by Khel Now, stated: “This circular is to notify all the Member Associations (MA) and stakeholders of the AIFF that a National Ban on the registration of new players has been imposed on the Club Mohun Bagan Super Giant (FIFA ID- 14AKC2C), a club registered within the Indian Football Association.”
Per Khel Now, a potential reason for the ban is reported to be a failure to make the solidarity payments.
Solidarity payments are distributed to all clubs that trained the player between his 12th and 23rd birthdays at a proportional rate depending on how long the player was at each club.
When contacted, a club official told PTI that it is a minor issue and MBSG will get this sorted within a week’s time.
“It is not connected to any financial irregularities and the problem is administrative in nature. We have reached out to FIFA, and will get this sorted in a week,” the official said.
“The issue stems from transfer of a player named Jason Cummings from another club two years ago and the training compensation fee. We have completed the payments at the time of signing,” he added.
However, a discrepancy in FIFA’s Clearing House system flagged off a delay or incomplete settlement of the training compensation — an amount owed to the player’s former development clubs. The source said the club has made multiple attempts to clear the amount after the player’s transfer, but due to the “technical error,” the payment could not be processed, leading to a temporary ban on registration of new players at the national level.
The development came to light following an official communication from the Director of FIFA Judicial Bodies.
The Mariners completed the ISL double in the 2024-25 season. They won both the League Winners’ Shield and the ISL Cup. They defeated Bengaluru FC 2-1 after extra time in the ISL final, making them the second team after Mumbai City FC to achieve this feat.
Mumbai City FC also received a similar suspension in October 2024.
