AIFF turns down Bagan demand!

Going strictly by the rule book, Mohun Bagan are not entitled to receive any compensation for their injured defender Deepak Mondal, a senior All India Football Federation (AIFF) official said on Thursday. The AIFF president, Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, however, will soon take a decision in this case, the official informed. Mondal, a senior pro in the Indian circuit, suffered a knee injury during India’s successful Nehru Cup campaign in September and is yet to recover. Mohun Bagan, whose defence has been weakened considerably by the absence of Mondal, have recently shot off a letter to AIFF demanding salary reimbursement of the injured defender. “We have already paid Mondal Rs 10 lakh,” club secretary Anjan Mitra said. “Because of the injury, the player is yet to attend a practice session, leave alone playing a match for the club.” “Since Mondal suffered the injury while playing for India, the AIFF should reimburse his salary,” Mitra said. When asked, an AIFF official pointed out that no such salary reimbursement rule existed under Fifa regulations. “The federation has paid the entire medical expenses of the footballer,” the official said. “The Fifa regulations have no provision for anything else.” “A policy of salary reimbursement might open the Pandora’s box all over the world,” the official said. “In such a scenario, rich and powerful clubs all over the world might start demanding compensation from smaller nations.” “Imagine what will happen if Didier Drogba gets injured while playing for Ivory Coast and Chelsea makes an exorbitant monetary demand for loss of their key player. Such demands cannot be met,” the official added. The AIFF is also upset with the fact that injured players do not always receive right treatment once they go back to their respective clubs. Once the footballer gets back to his club, the club officials tend to ignore the medical advice sent by the national federation and start fresh treatment, the official complained. “In many cases, the injury of the player prolongs or gets aggravated and the federation gets the blame for it,” the official said.

Source: The Telegraph.