‘Deeply Unfortunate’: AIFF Denies Mohun Bagan Claims Of Internal Tussle After Unity Cup Fiasco

The All India Football Federation has denied media reports about Mohun Bagan SG refusing to release players for the Senior National Men's team for the Unity Cup in London. The AIFF said the club never sent a warning letter and that it followed due process.

Deputy Secretary General M. Satyanarayan said a club official claimed Mohun Bagan SG wrote six days earlier, asking the AIFF to accept responsibility for injuries outside the FIFA window. "There is no such letter," he said, stressing that four emails were sent since 10 April.

Satyanarayan said those letters covered India's Unity Cup participation and biometric visa plans. He added that one Mohun Bagan SG claim about medical costs was also wrong. He stated the AIFF had spent almost ₹15 lakhs on injury treatment and rehab in the 2025-26 season alone.

He said, "The welfare of our national team players is of paramount importance to the AIFF, and if any player gets injured when they are with us, the AIFF never shies away from bearing their medical and rehab bills." He underlined that this applied to senior and age-group squads.

The AIFF official outlined how Mohun Bagan SG cooperated during the visa steps, before changing its stance. "The dates of the event were mentioned in all subsequent letters, along with the dates for biometric tests for players, which were fixed as per the club's convenience," he said.

He added, "The Mohun Bagan SG players attended the biometric test. Obviously, this was done with the club's knowledge as we had written to them." Two more emails on tournament details were later shared with all clubs, including Mohun Bagan SG, but these were not acknowledged.

On the night of 20 May, the AIFF received an email from Mohun Bagan SG. The club said players would be released only "during the FIFA window, and that AIFF may coordinate with the players likewise." Seven club players had been called up, with one listed as injured.

Last-Minute Club Directives From Mohun Bagan

Six Mohun Bagan SG footballers joined the national camp in Bengaluru on 22 May. Satyanarayan said they contacted the national team manager, Mr Velu. The players told him club management had cleared their camp attendance. They also took part in a recovery session that evening.

The next morning, messages in the club's players' WhatsApp group changed the picture. The players were told not to join national team training that evening and not to play outside the FIFA International Window. Some players were then prepared to leave camp after talks with staff.

Satyanarayan said head coach Mr Khalid Jamil and manager Mr Velu asked the players about their choice. "After a quick huddle together, the players informed the national team management that their club had instructed them not to play or train outside the FIFA International Window," he said.

AIFF Director of National Teams, Subrata Paul, called the situation "deeply unfortunate." He noted that players had finished biometric visa steps more than a month earlier. Paul said the federation understood club pressures but felt concerns should have been shared much earlier.

Paul said, "However, given that all concerned parties had been informed of this tournament as early as April 10, an earlier communication of any reservations would have allowed us the time to make the necessary arrangements and ensure no player missed out on an important opportunity."

He added that the late withdrawal hurt more than the affected group. "What saddens us most is the wider impact, not only on the players directly involved, but also on those who might otherwise have been called up in their place," Paul stated.

Paul linked this case to past issues. "We have faced similar challenges in the past in the CAFA Nations Cup and with our U23 national team. Our only hope is that, together, we can find better ways to navigate such moments so that Indian football, and every player who dreams of wearing the national colours, never has to pay the price," he said.

AIFF-Mohun Bagan Tussle: Timeline