AIFF proposal to break Rs 20 crore fixed deposit stalled
General body members of the All India Football Federation objected to withdrawing funds to pay Brazil and Uruguay for international friendlies.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) general body members have stalled a proposal to break a Rs 20 crore fixed deposit to pay Brazil and Uruguay for international friendlies held last month in Kolkata. According to the Times of India, the federation has already paid Panama in full, but Brazil and Uruguay have reportedly received only 50 per cent of their appearance fees.
AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey requested members to approve withdrawing the money from the fixed deposit before maturity, stating he would return the funds to the account later. However, vice-president NA Haris reminded members that the executive committee had previously decided not to use funds from the fixed deposit.
The federation has sought an extension of the deadline to clear pending payments of approximately Rs 19 crore to Brazil and approximately Rs 4.7 crore to Uruguay. A member noted that the fixed deposit dates back to the presidency of Praful Patel between 2018 and 2022.
The total amount due was not mentioned during the meeting due to confidentiality clauses in the contracts. It was decided to form a core group, chaired by Haris, to discuss the finer details of the matter.
The AIFF may also have to return part of a Rs 25 crore recoupable advance paid by a ticketing partner. While the federation expected ticket revenue of Rs 30-40 crore, sales did not meet expectations due to high ticket prices, leading to discounted arrangements for supporters of Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting.