FIFA imposes registration ban on Churchill Brothers

The ban is allegedly due to non payment of player salaries.

FIFA, the governing body for world football, has imposed a ban on I-League side Churchill Brothers, over a dispute of non-payment of player salaries.

On Monday, the All India Football Federation released an official statement on the issue, and said, “As per decision given by FIFA, a ban on the registration of new players has been imposed on Churchill Brothers FC, a club registered under the Goa Football Association.”

Reasoning behind the ban on Churchill Brothers

The ban was necessitated after Churchill Brothers failed to pay the salary of their Senegalese striker Abdoulaye Sane. According to TOI, the club sources said there was a dispute over the salary since the striker was injured, missed games, and there was even a possibility of the striker making a move.

“There is no reason for our fans to panic,” club CEO Valanka Alemao told TOI on Monday. “We are in the process of sorting out the dispute with our player. It will be sorted as soon as possible, and the ban will be lifted after that.”

About the player

Sane arrived at Churchill as a marquee signing last season, when he made a move from Saudi Professional League side Al-Taawoun FC. The Senegalese played his stint mostly in France, where he climbed the ranks at Rennes and made 15 appearances in the top tier from 2011 to 2013.

At Churchill Brothers, Sane started on the right note, and had eight goal contributions in his initial 17 appearances, but the player was held back with piling injury issues, which kept him off the pitch since February. 

With the transfer ban now imposed on Churchill Brothers, the club cannot register any players during this transfer window, which ends on August 31. The ban will be lifted once the club makes the payment in full.

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