I-League 2024-25 title hangs in balance as CAS to decide Inter Kashi’s fate on July 18

The verdict is all set to determine the final position of the teams in the I-League table.

The I-League 2024-25 season may have concluded on the pitch, but the title race is far from settled. Inter Kashi are still battling off the field, awaiting the final verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the controversial Mario Barco re-registration case.

The Swiss-based court is expected to deliver its decision on July 18, which will ultimately determine the I-League champions.

🚨 Final hearing in the Inter Kashi vs AIFF & I-League clubs case at CAS has concluded today. Final Verdict expected on 18 July 2025.#IndianFootball @KhelNow

— Ashish Negi (@7negiashish) July 15, 2025

What is the Mario Barco controversy?

The controversy stems from Inter Kashi’s mid-season decision to re-register Spanish striker Mario Barco as a replacement for another foreign player. The AIFF’s Competitions Committee had rejected the move, citing a clear violation of Clause 6.5.7 of the I-League regulations.

This rule allows foreign player replacements only under specific conditions like injury, illness, or contract termination, and only within a stipulated time frame. Since Barco had already been replaced once due to injury, his return to the squad was deemed invalid.

However, the AIFF League Committee later approved Barco’s re-registration, a move that triggered protests from Churchill Brothers, Namdhari FC, and Real Kashmir.

Eventually, the AIFF Appeals Committee stepped in and reversed the decision, handing Inter Kashi a four-point penalty. This deduction allowed Churchill Brothers to be provisionally crowned champions with 42 points.

Inter Kashi, however, refused to accept this outcome and escalated the matter to the CAS.

What happens to the I-League table after the CAS ruling?

Now, with the Barco verdict pending, the I-League title still hangs in the balance.

If the CAS rules in their favour, Inter Kashi’s tally will rise from 38 to 42 points, while Churchill Brothers’ total would drop by two points, bringing them down to 40.

This shift would officially make Inter Kashi the I-League champions for the first time.

Also Read: I-League 2024-25: CAS rules in favour of Inter Kashi; overturns AIFF Apeals Committee’s decision

Inter Kashi hoping for yet another favourable ruling

This isn’t the first time the Kashi Warriors have turned to CAS this season. In June, the Swiss-based court ruled in their favour in another case involving Namdhari FC and the ineligible fielding of Cledson Da Silva.

The Brazilian midfielder had accumulated enough yellow cards to warrant suspension, but Namdhari fielded him regardless.

Though the AIFF Disciplinary Committee initially awarded Inter Kashi a win, the Appeals Committee overturned that ruling. CAS later reinstated Inter Kashi’s claim, awarding them three crucial points that reignited their title hopes.

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