Five instances in football where champions were crowned off the pitch

The drama over the I-League continues as both Inter Kashi and Churchill Brothers proclaimed themselves as Champions.

The beautiful game of football always yearns for those final match weeks that hold significant thrill and action for fans of world football. Fans make all those calculations, mathematical analyses, the what-ifs and what-nots, all possible permutations and combinations as their favourite team goes on to play the final match week to decide who will possibly win the championship.

These kinds of incidents are very interesting and are what make world football exciting—the on-ground results in the final match weeks are what make football alive, a game of thrill and pure emotion. However, some titles get decided completely off the pitch—not on the field but in a courtroom sometimes, or due to some scandal or controversy.

These incidents not only make the footballing fraternity wide-eyed, but they also go against the spirit of the sport at times. As the I-League season concluded, the final match week held immense excitement for footballing fans across the country.

Not just one, but four teams had a real chance to win the I-League—Real Kashmir, Gokulam Kerala, Inter Kashi, and Churchill Brothers all had a sure-shot opportunity to lift the trophy. Amidst all the drama and tension, the winner of the I-League might now be decided not on the pitch but in the courtroom.

Let us delve into some of those moments where the Championships in world football got decided off the pitch.

5. Both Inter Kashi and Churchill Brothers call themselves “Champions of I League 2024-25”

Amid this final match-week drama and excitement that gripped us all, Churchill Brothers were provisionally declared the champions after playing a 1-1 draw against Real Kashmir. Had they won the final match, they would have easily lifted the I-League trophy without any drama. But destiny had different plans.

However, Inter Kashi had just two things to do. Firstly, secure victory against Rajasthan United, which they successfully did after scoring the winner in the stoppage time. Secondly, hope that the AIFF appeal they made against Namdhari FC for fielding an ineligible player would turn in their favour. This would take them to 42 points and make them the Champions of the I-League.

With both Churchill Brothers and Inter Kashi declaring themselves as champions on social media, fans still wait in anticipation, hoping for a final verdict from the AIFF to officially crown the rightful winners of the I-League.

EMOTIONS 🫂 🧡#IndianFootball #ILeague #KSHIRUFC #HarHarKashi #Kashi pic.twitter.com/KUV5KeFmV9

— Inter Kashi (@InterKashi) April 8, 2025

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4. Real Madrid exited the Copa del Rey after fielding suspended Cheryshev.

A serious blunder committed by Real Madrid in the 2015 Copa del Rey fixtures was fielding Denis Cheryshev in the match against Cadiz in the Round of 32. Cadiz appealed to the Spanish Federation, stating that Cheryshev should have been suspended as he had picked up three yellow cards while playing for his previous team, Valencia.

Not only did Cheryshev play in that match, but he also scored the opening goal, giving Real Madrid a decisive lead early on. The match ended 3-1 in favour of Real Madrid, and they carried a strong advantage heading into the second leg.

However, Cadiz lodged an appeal, and it was upheld. As a result, Real Madrid were disqualified from the football tournament in a highly unfortunate manner, costing them the opportunity to contend for the Copa del Rey that season.

3. FC Sion forgot they registered players during a transfer ban

The 2011 Europa League witnessed an unfortunate incident involving FC Sion, as the Swiss club went on to defeat Celtic with a 3-1 aggregate score in the play-off fixtures. However, the controversy surrounding the club dated back to 2008, when Sion signed Essam El Hadary despite him being under contract with his former club, Al Ahly.

This move resulted in a transfer ban being imposed on the Swiss side. Following their defeat, Celtic appealed to UEFA, claiming that Sion had fielded five ineligible players during the match, players they had signed during the period of their transfer ban.

After a thorough investigation, UEFA ruled in favour of Celtic, handing Sion a 3-0 defeat in both legs, which saw them crash out of the tournament amidst considerable drama.

2. Marseille were stripped of their Ligue 1 and UCL Championship titles.

Olympique Marseille not only won the French top division but were also declared the champions of Europe after winning the UEFA Champions League in the 1992–93 season. However, at a later stage, it was found that they were involved in bribery and serious corruption allegations during their league match against Valenciennes.

It was revealed that Marseille player Jean-Jacques Eydelie, on behalf of the club’s president and general manager, had approached Valenciennes players with bribes to underperform in the fixture. After the court found the allegations to be serious, not only were Marseille stripped of their league title, but they were also demoted to the second division due to the gravity of the offences committed.

1. The Calcipoli scam shook the entire football fraternity

The Calciopoli scandal that unfolded during the 2006 Serie A season remains one of the darkest and most disgraceful chapters in world football, as the essence of fair play was brutally compromised. Several of Italy’s most prominent clubs were found guilty of manipulating referees to secure favourable outcomes.

Una settimana fa la Cassazione ha ribadito la regolarità del Campionato di #SerieA in relazione ai fatti di #Calciopoli #Farsopoli.Noi non avevamo bisogno di questa ennesima conferma, se non per "l'ennesima conferma" della pusillanimità, o connivenza, di alcuni media.38 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/TCWRDxWXk2

— La Maglia Bianconera (@La_Bianconera) April 3, 2025

When the scandal was brought to light, Juventus were stripped of their Serie A titles from the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons and were relegated to the second division. While the 2004–05 title was left unassigned, the 2005–06 championship was controversially awarded to Inter Milan.

Other clubs, including AC Milan, Fiorentina, and Lazio, were also handed point deductions after being implicated in the scandal.

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