The Anwar Ali saga that had dragged on for months has reached its conclusion with a verdict that has serious implications, both on and off the field, for East Bengal and Delhi FC, while giving Mohun Bagan Super Giant – the aggrieved party – a major windfall. (Also Read | Anwar Ali: From Mohun Bagan to East Bengal - a timeline on the transfer story of the season)
How many matches will Anwar Ali miss?
The 24-year-old Anwar, who cut short his loan spell with Mohun Bagan to sign with East Bengal during the off season, has been banned for four months. That will be the first of 13 league matches that Anwar misses before he can take the field for his new team in January. He will also not be able to play for India during the October international break.
What are the repercussions on East Bengal and Delhi FC?
East Bengal and Delhi FC will not be able to sign any players during the next two transfer windows, starting with the January 1. East Bengal kick off the new Indian Super League (ISL) season on September 14, at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bangalore.
Who will pay Rs 12.9 crore compensation to Mohun Bagan?
Mohun Bagan are the beneficiaries of a whopping 12.9 crore fine, which will have to be stumped up by the player and the two clubs found guilty.
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Why is Anwar Ali banned?
The transfer fiasco had its roots in the most unusual four-year-long loan agreed between Delhi and Mohun Bagan before the start of the last ISL season. Most player loans, whether in Europe or elsewhere, are for a season at best. Only in rare cases, like with James Rodriguez – the Colombia star, who went from Real Madrid to Bayern Munich for two years - are they of a longer duration. After playing 26 times for Bagan, and scoring thrice, the centre-back was coveted by cross-town rivals East Bengal, where Carles Cuadrat was brought in as coach to try and awaken one of Indian football's sleeping giants.
Cuadrat won the Super Cup to get many fans onside, but the league form was wretched, with East Bengal winning only six of their 22 matches. Bagan won the ISL Shield with 48 points, exactly double what their bitter rivals could manage.
It was a given that Caudrat, who won the title with Bengaluru FC in 2018-19, would seek massive reinforcements ahead of the new season. What few expected was that Anwar would be one of the targets. Once he and East Bengal had their initial discussions and Bagan got wind of the plan, they threw their full legal resources at what they saw as sharp practice from Delhi, his parent club, East Bengal and Anwar himself.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has a Players' Status Committee, and their interim order in early August was a clear sign of which way the wind was blowing. It mentioned that the termination of the loan deal with Bagan had been “without a just cause”.
What does the ban mean for other football clubs in India?
The severity of the punishment will deter clubs and players from not taking contracts seriously. For now, East Bengal will have to redraft their entire ISL plan with their premier centre-back missing more than half the season. As for Bagan, they may have lost a player, but are now flush with the cash that can be used to replace him.
When does Mohun Bagan play East Bengal in ISL 2024-25?
When East Bengal take on Bagan in the first Kolkata derby of the ISL season on October 19, Anwar will be in the stands, or his couch at home, rather than at the heart of their rearguard.
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