Kolkata: One day after he started his first competitive match in 90 days, Anwar Ali was on Tuesday banned for four months till January 10, 2025, by the Players Status Committee (PSC) of the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Ali’s former club Mohun Bagan Super Giant were awarded ₹12.9 crore as compensation, a record in Indian club football.

PSC also decided that East Bengal, who have signed the central defender on a five-year contract worth approximately ₹15 crore, and Ali’s old club Delhi FC would be barred from registering new players for two consecutive transfer windows. As per the order, the clubs cannot sign anyone till September 1, 2025.

Ali, East Bengal and Delhi FC can take their case to AIFF’s Appeals Committee. It is also possible that the decision will be challenged in court. Ali can play only if there is a stay on the order by the Appeals Committee or a court. “This would go on for a while,” Delhi FC co-owner Ranjit Bajaj had said on X on September 1.

“The order has been sent to our lawyers and we are waiting to hear from them,” said East Bengal official Debabrata Sarkar.

East Bengal start in Indian Super League, away to Bengaluru FC, on Saturday. They presented Ali on August 13. This was after Ali, on loan to Mohun Bagan from Delhi FC till 2027, had approached AIFF seeking to move because Mohun Bagan were not making the loan deal permanent.

After hearing all parties, PSC ruled that Ali “has failed to demonstrate any just cause for termination” of his contract with Mohun Bagan.

Hence the ₹12.9 crore compensation for Mohun Bagan who in 2012-13 were fined a record ₹2 crore by AIFF for not completing a Kolkata derby in the I-League. For perspective, consider this: AIFF fined Kerala Blasters ₹4 crore for walking out of an ISL semi-final and the federation paid Igor Stimac approximately ₹3.35 crore as severance pay.

Ali was allowed to return to Delhi FC following a preliminary PSC order on August 10, since “the player cannot be stopped from moving clubs”. He then signed for East Bengal.

East Bengal, Delhi FC and Ali must pay Mohun Bagan inside 45 days, PSC has said. Failing which the transfer ban can be extended till January 30, 2026, and Ali kept away from football till March 10, 2025.

The amount was arrived at by calculating Ali’s market value – based on the average of what Mohun Bagan would have paid him and what East Bengal will till 2027 – what Mohun Bagan paid Delhi FC under the loan agreement and the “damage” suffered by Mohun Bagan in seeking a replacement. The last part equals the transfer fee East Bengal paid Delhi FC, PSC has explained in the order signed by deputy chairperson Savio Messias.

Since PSC felt East Bengal and Delhi FC were “guilty” of inducing Ali to break his contract, they were handed transfer bans as sporting sanctions. “Materials on record suggest that both clubs and their officials acted in concert to ensure the Player’s (sic) transfer to East Bengal FC,” as per the six-page order. HT has a copy.

From July 2022, FIFA has mandated that no player can be on an international loan for more than one year. Member associations were given till 2025 to implement this in their domestic structure. It is possible that Ali will question the validity of his agreement with Mohun Bagan till 2027 citing the FIFA ruling.

After a medical test at a club he was about to sign for revealed he had a heart condition, it was following a Delhi high court verdict in 2020 that Ali’s career resumed. It was Bajaj who helped Ali then. The court overruled AIFF’s medical committee, which had barred him on health grounds, after hearing arguments that players with such a condition are allowed to play in England. Part of India’s under-17 World Cup squad in 2017, Ali’s stock has been on the rise since.

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