NEW DELHI: The All India Football Federation has overturned the directive issued by its West Bengal affiliate to winger Abinash Ruidas to play for East Bengal, making it clear that only the parent body has the “authority to adjudicate the disputed” subject.
Indian Football Association secretary Utpal Ganguli, had on July 27, declared that Ruidas is contracted to East Bengal for two more years after the player was signed by Indian Super League franchise Mumbai City FC at its players draft.
The matter came up after East Bengal claimed that the footballer still two more seasons to run on his existing contract. Ruidas claimed that he never signed for the Kolkata giants for 2017-18 and that they had “forged” his signature.
The AIFF then formed a seven-member special committee to find out whether the federation has the “authority” to decide on the status and transfer of the footballer, with eminent lawyer Usha Nath Banerjee as its head.
The committee has issued the following statement on the dispute: “The decision of the IFA dated July 28, 2017, cannot be sustained and/or enforced.
“AIFF is the authority to adjudicate the disputed subject issue in its entirety including the ‘status’ of the player and/or whether there exists any valid and binding written contract, and whether there has been mandatory compliance of Articles 4.3 and 5 of the AIFF Regulations for the Status and Transfer of Players.
“As per the AIFF constitution and AIFF regulations for the status and transfer of players, the ‘players status committee’ of the AIFF is entrusted with exclusive powers to deal with and settle the ‘dispute’ as to the status of the player and his contractual validity.
“Any other or further decision of the IFA relating to or arising out of the subject issue of ‘Abinash Ruidas’, cannot be sustained/enforced.”
