Sporting Goa player alleges mistreatment, club refutes claims

The young midfielder was part of the Flaming Oranje's squad that won the Goa Pro League title last season.

Midfielder Gourav Kankonkar has allegedly terminated his contract with Sporting Clube de Goa after the club's failure to clear his due salary within the stipulated date, Khel Now has learned. Kankonkar, who has attracted interest from a few ISL clubs, represented the Flaming Oranje in the Goa Pro League last season.

He has been approached by a number of Indian Super League clubs this summer and had sought an NOC from the club, which would allow him to move to the top tier of Indian football. But, Sporting had allegedly refused to release him, despite being unable to pay his due salary. Interestingly, Gourav is tied to a six-year contract with the Goan club.

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However, a six-year contract is barred by both AIFF and FIFA's regulations on player contracts. Gourav, who made his professional debut with Sporting Clube de Goa, claims he was unaware of any such rule when he penned the contract with Sporting last year. The club are also allegedly yet to clear his dues, despite the completion of the Goa Pro League in April last year. It has left the player with no choice but to 'unilaterally terminate his contract' with the club. The player has also sought help from the AIFF's Player Status Committee.

But, Sporting Clube de Goa CEO Welvin Menezes has denied receiving any mail from the player on the matter. Menezes, in a phone call with Khel Now, stated that Gourav has a five-year contract with the club. He also maintained that there are no points of contention between the player and the club.

Khel Now has accessed documents sent by Gourav Kankonkar and his representatives to the AIFF. They maintain that the player had communicated to the club multiple times to clear his dues and also served a legal notice. But, the club are yet to respond.

The Crux of the Matter

A six-year contract

On July 16, 2020, Gourav Kankonkar signed a six-year contract with Sporting Clube de Goa, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2025-26 season. However, FIFA and AIFF's Regulation of Player Contracts clearly mentions that any contract longer than five years 'shall not be recognised.'

Article 21.2 of FIFA and AIFF's Status and Transfer of Players states, "The minimum length of a contract shall be from its effective date until the end of the season, while the maximum length of a contract shall be five years. Contracts of any other length shall only be permitted if consistent with national laws. Players under the age of 18 may not sign a professional contract for a term longer than three years. Any clause referring to a longer period shall not be recognised."

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In his legal notice served to the club on August 14, 2021, Kankonkar's attorney Rishabh Rana has questioned Sporting Clube de Goa's intention behind the 'invalid contract.' He has also asked how a club, which has been operating in Indian football for over two decades now, are not 'well versed' with the 'important regulations.' The notice also claims that the footballer 'was made to sign on an agreement with an invalid clause with deliberate and mala-fide intentions.'

Menezes, however, clarified that the deal, which was initially of six years, has been a 'deemed five-year contract'. Both associations (GFA and AIFF) are aware of it, said the Sporting Goa CEO.

Not clearing due salary

Gourav Kankonkar played eight of the 11 games as Sporting Clube de Goa clinched the Goa Pro League title. It was the second consecutive title for Sporting and sixth in the club's history. Kankonkar was promised a salary of ₹2 lakh per season (including bonuses), but allegedly has only been paid 55% (₹1,10000) of the promised amount, which includes ₹80,000 in salary and ₹30,000 in bonuses. The Goa Pro League concluded on April 30, 2020, while the Indian football season also curtained in May. But, despite the conclusion of the season, Gourav is allegedly yet to receive his remaining dues.

In his legal notice, Kankonkar's attorney mentions that 'no effort has been made from the club's end' to clear the 'financial dues' of the player, who after the passing of his father last year, is the single bread-earner in the family.

But, Menezes asserted that all due salaries have been cleared by the club. The Sporting Clube de Goa chief also informed that Gourav was summoned to a meeting with the club bosses on August 27 (Friday). But the 'midfielder did not turn up' for the meeting.

A source close to the developments also told Khel Now: "The player (Gourav Kankonkar) hasn't been paid equivalent to six months salary on pro-rata basis, which is a major dereliction on the club's part. They were given 15 days to fulfill their financial obligations towards the player, which also they did not take much seriously.

"These are some very serious mishaps. I believe the player has a strong case and they have no qualms in taking this issue to its logical conclusion as per the rules," the source added.

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Refusal to hand NOC

With an invalid contract and his dues allegedly pending, Gourav asked the club to issue an NOC to allow him to represent another club in the ISL. In the legal notice dated August 14, the player demanded that he be granted an NOC within the next seven days. The club were also asked to clear all dues within the next 15 days. But, the player is yet to receive an official response on the matter from the club.

The player has therefore written to the club informing them of his decision to 'unilaterally terminate the contract' as a result of the club's failure to clear his due salaries in time. He has also now approached the AIFF's Player Status Committee seeking help to resolve the alleged wrongdoing.

When approached for a comment on the conflict with the club and the letter to AIFF seeking help, Gourav's representative refused to divulge into the matter.

"We would not like to comment on anything at this moment due to its sensitivity. We will be bringing our claim before the AIFF who have the jurisdiction to hear and adjudicate on this matter. Our lawyers are looking into this matter and we hope the outcome would be in our favor," said Sanroy D'Sousa.

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