AIFF Appeals Committee halts relegation order of I-League clubs; sets hearing for May 30

Delhi FC and SC Bengaluru are fighting for I-League survival.

In a significant development in Indian football’s ongoing administrative season, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Appeals Committee has issued an interim order that places the relegation of I-League clubs Delhi FC and SC Bengaluru on hold.

The interim relief was granted after Delhi FC challenged a Disciplinary Committee decision dated May 15, 2025, which had demoted them after finishing at the bottom of the 2024–25 I-League campaign.

The case, heard by a panel comprising Hon’ble Justice (Retd.) Rajesh Tandon (Chairperson), Mr. Ashok K. Tripathi, and advocate Priyanka Mishra stem from what Delhi FC alleges was an improper and constitutionally questionable relegation.

The matter has been scheduled for further proceedings on May 30, 2025, at 12:30 PM at the AIFF Appeals Committee’s office in New Delhi.

Delhi FC is not going down without a fight

The club, represented by advocate Mr. Shivam Singh, submitted that the AIFF’s Disciplinary Committee had overlooked critical provisions under the AIFF Disciplinary Code, specifically Article 2.1.6 read with Article 73, and had failed to account for the constitutional implications under Article 19 related to demotion.

The AIFF Appeals Committee acknowledged that “the team which goes to the inferior position has a right to challenge the same” and emphasized that only the Disciplinary Committee has jurisdiction over such relegation matters.

However, the committee expressed concern that the process of relegation appeared to have been hastily decided without reference to historical precedents, where AIFF itself had previously waived relegation in similar contexts.

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AIFF have two days to file objections

The committee further noted that any decision resulting in relegation without due process could have “serious penal consequences.” Recognising the complexity of the situation, the AIFF has requested two days to file objections to the appeal.

In the interim, the committee ruled that “any order passed for relegation shall remain in abeyance and shall not be acted upon till the final hearing of the appeals itself.”

The ruling provides a temporary lifeline to Delhi FC, who maintain that the punishment imposed upon them was disproportionate and lacked procedural fairness.

With relegation suspended for now, all eyes will be on the next hearing which could set a major precedent in how Indian football’s governing bodies handle disciplinary and relegation matters in the future seasons.

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