Reigning Indian Super League (ISL) champion Mohun Bagan has refused to release its players for the ongoing senior national camp in Bengaluru, triggering a standoff with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) ahead of next month’s CAFA Nations Cup.
The Mariners, who have seven players named in the national camp, cited non-mandatory release regulations outside FIFA windows, upcoming AFC Champions League Two commitments, and recurring player injuries as reasons behind their decision.
“Unless it is a FIFA international window, it is not mandatory for the club to release its players as there is no compensation in case of injury. Hence, we are not releasing anyone for this camp,” a Mohun Bagan official was quoted as saying by PTI. The club’s defiance comes just a day after their Durand Cup exit with a 1-2 quarterfinal loss to East Bengal.
The players withheld from national duty include Anirudh Thapa, Deepak Tangri, Lalengmawia, Liston Colaco, Manvir Singh, Sahal Abdul Samad and Vishal Kaith. Forward Manvir Singh is already out with an injury, further complicating matters.
The club also declined to release four U-23 players—Dippendu Biswas, Suhail Bhat, Priyansh Dubey, and T. Abhishek Singh—who are part of the India squad for the upcoming AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualifiers. According to the club, these youngsters are critical in light of injuries to key senior players.
“Abhishek is a vital cog in our defence in the absence of Bose, and so are Dippendu, Suhail and Priyansh. We will not release them either,” the official said. Suhail Bhat is also said to be carrying a minor injury.
Taking a firm tone, the club accused the federation of negligence. Pointing to the long-term injury of club captain Subhasish Bose during international duty, the official said, “Every time they take our players, three-four of them return injured, and the AIFF is least bothered to communicate, compensate, or even check on them. Look at Bose… he’s under rehab, missed the entire season so far, we are paying his salary, and yet the federation hasn’t even called once to inquire about him.”
In response, the AIFF acknowledged Jamshedpur FC’s cooperation in releasing coach Khalid Jamil “in the national interest” and urged all clubs to show similar commitment.
Mohun Bagan’s refusal comes as they prepare for their AFC Champions League Two opener against Ahal FC of Turkmenistan at Salt Lake Stadium on September 16. The Mariners earned a direct spot in the competition by winning the ISL League Shield last season. They face away ties against Sepahan SC (Iran) and Al Hussein (Jordan) before hosting Al Hussein again in November.
Elsewhere, FC Goa, which also qualified for the group stage, has allowed four players—Hrithik Tiwari, Boris Singh, Sandesh Jhingan, and Udanta Singh—to join the national camp.
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