CHENNAI:As if all the on-field drama wasn’t enough for the I-League, the final days of the season are set to be plagued in off-field controversy. Leaders Minerva Punjab FC have written a letter to the All India Football Federation making a string of accusations against East Bengal, who can win the title on Thursday if results go their way. An East Bengal official said without evidence, such allegations should not be made.
The accusations levelled by Minerva concern last week’s game between them and Chennai City FC which they lost.
The charges are three-pronged. The first two claim that EB official Alvito D’Cunha called up CCFC’s coach V Soundararajan, team officials and players. Minerva alleged that D’Cunha promised `10 lakh to Soundararajan, if they were to beat Minerva and help EB secure title. It was also alleged that D’Cunha called up CCFC’s manager and players, accusing them of trying to fix the match in Minerva’s favour.
The third allegation is that EB’s goalkeeping coach Abdul Azim Siddique called up Minerva’s head coach Khogen Singh in a bid to unsettle him before the match. According to the letter, Khogen was allegedly told that “Minerva has already hired Santosh Kashyap for next season and he has no future in Minerva, but he may have a future in East Bengal next season if he plays his cards right.”
The first allegation regarding Soundararajan is unusual, for fixing approaches usually involve people being offered money to lose a match. Soundararajan could not be reached for comment. But Express has been able to verify that CCFC officials did receive calls from a person claiming to be D’Cunha. According to a recording of the conversation, the caller first asks the CCFC official if they were planning to throw the match in Minerva’s favour. Upon being reproached, he then asks for team information, including ‘if Chennai City’s foreign goalkeeper was fit and was playing’.
Express has also verified that at least one CCFC player received a call from someone purporting to be an EB official, the day before the match. However, the player does not remember the name of the official.
An East Bengal official rejected the accusations. “Minerva’s owner Ranjit Bajaj is known for making baseless allegations,” the official said. “If these charges are proved, then appropriate action will be taken against those concerned.”I-League CEO Sunando Dhar said he had not yet seen the mail from Minerva as he had been travelling.