Delhi FC and Sporting Club Bengaluru have secured an interim stay on relegation from the I-League until a final decision is reached on their submissions challenging the All India Football Federation’s Disciplinary Committee ruling.
Two interim orders dated May 24 issued by the AIFF’s Appeals Committee, accessed by PTI, reveal that both the clubs had appealed against the disciplinary panel’s decisions that would have demoted them from the 2024–25 I-League season after they finished in the bottom two of the 12 teams in the competition.
The appeals panel, led by retired Justice Rajesh Tandon, expressed concern over how swiftly the original decisions were taken and noted that the circumstances warranted keeping any relegation-related action “in abeyance” until the final hearing.
“On behalf of AIFF, time has been sought (by the AIFF) for two days to file the objections. However, the circumstances of the case warrant that any order passed for relegation shall remain in abeyance and shall not be acted upon till the final hearing of the present appeal itself,” both the orders stated.
In its appeal, Sporting Club Bengaluru argued that Namdhari FC had fielded an “ineligible player” during a match, a breach they argue entitles them to three points.
Their advocate argued that the Disciplinary Committee overlooked crucial provisions, and that relegation has penal consequences, infringing Article 19 of the Indian Constitution .
If granted, this would also impact the standings and potentially push Aizawl FC into the relegation zone instead.
Delhi FC, meanwhile, questioned the process and rationale behind their demotion, citing AIFF’s own past precedents where relegation had been waived, PTI further reports.
Their legal counsel contended that relegation constitutes penal consequences, thereby invoking Article 19 of the Indian Constitution.
The Appeals Committee observed in both cases that the Disciplinary Committee appeared to have overlooked key aspects of the relegation process and noted the seriousness of the implications involved.
The committee has also directed that a copy of the appeal documents be sent to Aizawl FC, allowing them the opportunity to join the proceedings if they want.
As per the official standings after the conclusion of the I-League last month, SC Bengaluru and Delhi FC took the last two spots 11th and 12th respectively in the table.
The next hearing for both the appeals is scheduled for Thursday at the AIFF office in New Delhi.
This fresh relegation twist adds to an already chaotic 2025 I-League season, which recently saw a messy title dispute between Churchill Brothers and Inter Kashi. Churchill were eventually declared champions and promoted to the ISL, but only after the Appeals Committee overturned a controversial disciplinary ruling that had briefly handed Kashi extra points over a player eligibility issue. With Inter Kashi having taken the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, questions continue to mount over the handling of key decisions this season under AIFF president and BJP politician Kalyan Chaubey’s watch.
