Will Anwar Ali turn up for the Durand Cup derby on Sunday? That is the question. The 23-year-old center-half didn’t feature in East Bengal’s AFC Champions League 2 preliminary round fixture against Altyn Asyr FK on Wednesday. It would be interesting to see Mohun Bagan fans’ reaction towards their former player if he takes the field on Sunday. Anwar has left Bagan in acrimonious circumstances and the green-and-maroon supporters are still smarting over it.
Anwar has been the transfer story of the season. Things are partially resolved now, after East Bengal’s acquisition of the player in a five-year deal. But he is playing for his new club “at his own risk”. Here’s a timeline of how the transfer saga has panned out...
During close season, Anwar prematurely ended his loan deal with Mohun Bagan Super Giant and agreed to join their arch-rivals East Bengal. Bagan maintained that Anwar was their player, as the latter had a four-year loan agreement with the club. To resolve the issue, the player, his parent club, Delhi FC, and Bagan approached the All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) Players’ Status Committee (PSC). Bagan, also, sent an email to the player, asking him to report for training on July 19.
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The PSC issued an interim order on August 3, mentioning that the loan termination was done “without a just cause”. It, however, gave Anwar the go-ahead to sign for another club “at his own risk”.
“As the club (Mohun Bagan Super Giant) had not issued an NOC despite having conceded to the termination, whilst reserving its rights to claim appropriate sanctions and damages, it is hereby directed that this order may be treated as an NOC for purposes of player registration and registration on the AIFF CRS (Central Registration System),” the order said.
Accordingly, Anwar came to Kolkata on August 11 and completed his transfer formalities the following day. On August 13, he was unveiled as an East Bengal player.
Anwar is an India regular and naturally the red-and-gold camp were happy to prise him out of their biggest rivals. “With Anwar, we have secured another national team player who will bring invaluable experience to our squad,” East Bengal head coach Carles Cuadrat told reporters. “His quality and physical presence are key to the team we are building for the future. It’s crucial for players to believe in the coach’s vision before joining a new project, and I’m pleased to see how some of the young talents in Indian football recognise that East Bengal is the club where they can elevate their careers.”
But there could be a twist in the tale. The PSC is expected to issue its final order on August 22 or 23. And with Bagan reserving their rights “to claim appropriate sanctions and damages”, Anwar might face a ban or a heavy fine or both.
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