More embarrassment for All India Football Federation as international sports court declares Inter Kashi as I-League champions
The Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the AIFF Appeal Committee's decision to award the title to Churchill Brothers of Goa and declared that Kashi, instead, should be declared the second-division champions. The decision, which came on Friday, will end a months-long saga that overshadowed a nail-biting season.
The international sports court's verdict will come as further embarrassment for an under-fire AIFF as it had earlier announced Churchill Brothers as the I-League champions. Their decision came after its Appeal Committee ruled against Inter Kashi in a matter related to the fielding of an 'ineligible player'. The Varanasi club had ended in second spot after points were deducted from their tally.
Truth will always emerge victorious! 💪🏼🧡#IndianFootball #ILeague #HarHarKashi #Kashi pic.twitter.com/gPLXtmJU56
— Inter Kashi (@InterKashi) July 18, 2025
However, Inter Kashi approached the CAS, which asked the AIFF to reverse its decision. 'The AIFF shall forthwith declare Inter Kashi FC as winner of the I-league 2024-25 season,' the Lausanne-based CAS said in its order, according to the Press Trust of India. 'The appeal filed on 4 June 2025 by Inter Kashi FC against the decision issued on 31 May 2025 by the Appeal Committee of the All-India Football Federation is partially upheld. The decision issued on 31 May 2025 by the Appeal Committee of the All India Football Federation is set aside.'
On January 13, Namdhari beat Inter Kashi 2-0 in the I-League. After the match was over, Inter Kashi disputed the result, alleging that Namdhari had fielded an ineligible player, Cledson Carvalho da Silva — also known as Dé. They contended that Dé should have been suspended under the AIFF's rules, claiming he had accumulated four yellow cards through the season. The fact that one of his yellow cards led to a sending-off presented a confusing scenario for the parties involved.
It took more than one month for the AIFF's Disciplinary Committee, headed by a former Uttarakhand High Court judge, to announce its verdict. On February 24, the committee upheld Inter Kashi's appeal and handed them a 3-0 win. At that point, it placed Inter Kashi above Churchill Brothers in the title race.
Namdhari immediately appealed the decision. The Punjab-based club claimed that the AIFF's portal 'did not show' that the player was suspended for the match and hence, they fielded him.
Another month later, on March 27, the AIFF Appeals Committee, headed by a former Allahabad High Court judge, put the earlier decision in abeyance. It meant that Churchill regained their position at the top of the table. The appeals committee said it would continue hearing the case on April 28, long after the league was done and dusted.
On April 6, the final day of the I-League, Churchill did just enough against Real Kashmir to finish top of the table with 40 points whereas Inter Kashi defeated Rajasthan United to end the season that afternoon with 39 points.
They hoped that if the AIFF's appeals committee gave the verdict in their favour, like the disciplinary panel, they would get the three points and leapfrog Churchill to become champions.
Amidst confusion and outcry over the lack of clarity regarding the champions, the appeals committee brought forward the hearing to April 12. And after speaking to all parties, it sided with Namdhari, thus paving the way for Churchill to be crowned the champions on April 20 — two weeks after the league was over.
Inter Kashi approached CAS even as the AIFF handed over the trophy to Churchill. Now, with the CAS ruling in their favour, the AIFF will have to take the trophy back from Churchill and hand it over to Inter Kashi.
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