AIFF hands I-League trophy replica to Inter Kashi 3 months after CAS ruling

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Saturday finally presented a replica of the I-League trophy to Inter Kashi, six months after the same silverware had been handed to Churchill Brothers at the same Goa venue. The move followed a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which declared the debutants the rightful champions.

The presentation took place after Kashi’s final Super Cup group match against Jamshedpur FC at the GMC Athletic Stadium. "Inter Kashi have been presented with the I-League 2024-25 trophy," the I-League said in a post on X. 

CAS had, in July, overturned the AIFF Appeals Committee's decision that had awarded the title to Churchill Brothers, directing the Federation to "forthwith declare Inter Kashi FC as winner of the I-League 2024–25 season."

However, the AIFF said that the original trophy remains with Churchill Brothers, who have refused to return it since being named provisional winners in April. "Despite letters to return the trophy, Churchill Brothers did not do so. We will pursue the matter. But since the whole team was here for the Super Cup, we have presented a replica of the trophy as per the CAS order," a top AIFF official told PTI.

Hitting out at AIFF, Churchill Brothers FC owner Churchill Alemao has called the move “disrespectful” to his club and its supporters. "This is an insult to our fans and supporters who have stood by Churchill Brothers through the years,” Alemao said, adding that the matter is still under legal consideration.

Churchill has refused to return the trophy, maintaining that the matter remains sub judice before Switzerland’s Federal Tribunal. "CAS has never asked us to return the trophy till date. The final order is yet to be given and we will challenge it in the Swiss Federal Tribunal," Churchill Brothers said in a statement.

The Goan club has also filed a petition in the Delhi High Court, seeking Kashi’s disqualification for alleged rule violations during the season.

The dispute stemmed from Inter Kashi’s 0–2 loss to Namdhari FC on January 13. Kashi later protested, claiming Namdhari had fielded Brazilian midfielder Cledson Carvalho da Silva (De), who was ineligible to play after receiving three yellow cards.

The AIFF Disciplinary Committee initially upheld Kashi’s protest and awarded them three points. However, Namdhari contended that the player’s suspension was not updated on the official AIFF portal, leading the Appeals Committee to overturn the decision.

That reversal proved decisive as Churchill Brothers, who finished with 40 points, were declared provisional champions, while Kashi dropped to second with 39.