The Football Players’ Association of India plans to approach the All India Football Federation seeking the parent body’s intervention after East Bengal Club’s investors Quess Corp controversially terminated the players’ contract in wake of coroanvirus pandemic, PTI reported.
The Bangalore-based investors Quess Corp, who snapped ties last month, had terminated the players and the officials’ contracts activating the Force Majeure clause in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic as they had moved FPAI. Force Majeure is a legal term which means “unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract”.
A number of East Bengal players had approached FPAI after their were salaries were not paid after the remaining I-League matches couldn’t be held.
“Previously only three-four players had come now we have around 12 of them and we are looking into their contracts. First we will approach the investors (Quess Corp) and after hearing their reply we will go to the AIFF Player’s Status Committee,” FPAI’s player liaison officer Siddhartha Bhattacharya told PTI.
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Some of the players including East Bengal’s top Spanish winger Jaime Santos Colado has two years left in his contract. There are a host of Indians namely Lalrindika Ralte, Brandon Vanlalremdika, Abhishek Ambekar, Asheer Akhtar, Samad Ali Mallick, Prakash Sarkar, Manoj Mohammed and Boithang Haokip, who have one or more years remaining in their contracts.
“All of them have sent their contracts and we have divided them into two categories as per the tenure left,” Bhattacharya added.
FPAI general manager Cyrus Confectioner has already spoken to the East Bengal officials and told them it is the club that makes the contract, not the investors.
“Quess contract runs till May 31 but it’s the club who will be liable to clear the players’ dues as a player signs a contract with a club and not its investor,” Confectioner said.