Football
Anwar Ali Transfer Saga: How the whole fiasco folded out
Here is everything you need to know about the timeline of the Anwar Ali transfer saga and how it would affect the involved parties.
The report by the Player Status Committee announcing the ban on Anwar Ali and the huge compensation to be paid to Mohun Bagan SG ended one of the most dramatic transfer sagas in Indian football history.
The young defender Anwar Ali is banned for four months and East Bengal Football Club and Delhi Football Club have been banned from registering any new players for the next two windows, as per the ruling of the Player Status Committee of the AIFF.
In addition, Anwar and EBFC have been asked to pay a fine of Rs. 12.9 crore to Mohun Bagan Super Giant, by the PSC.
The whole saga was dramatic and involved parties like Ranjit Bajaj, Mohun Bagan, and East Bengal making it one of the most followed controversies in Indian football.
Here is what the timeline of the Anwar Ali transfer saga looks like:
July 9: Unilateral contract termination as per the new FIFA ruling.
July 10: Anwar Ali requests AIFF to register him back at Delhi FC.
July 12: Mohun Bagan asks Anwar to join the first-team training on July 19.
July 17: Anwar breaks his silence and pleads his case in front of the Player Status Committee. Anwar pleads his case before the PSC.
July 19: Anwar doesn't join the Mohun Bagan training making his intentions of not coming back to the club clear.
August 2: After a wait of almost two weeks, the case gets listed before AIFF PSC.
August 3: The Player Status Committee declares the termination of the loan between Anwar and Mohun Bagan.
August 11: AIFF PSC grants NOC to Anwar to sign with East Bengal FC, but he is warned to proceed at his own risk pending the final order.
August 12: East Bengal registers Anwar Ali on a five-year deal.
August 23: Final hearing.
September 9: Final decision with PSC sanctioning ban on Anwar Ali, East Bengal, and Delhi FC. The committee also asked for compensation to be paid to Mohun Bagan.
As per the reports, the decision by PSC stated, "Anwar Ali will serve a four-month sporting ban, while East Bengal and Delhi FC will face two transfer window bans, starting from the January transfer window. All three parties—Anwar Ali, Delhi FC, and East Bengal—must pay Rs 12.90 crores in compensation to Mohun Bagan."
How are all the parties affected by the decision of PSC
Anwar Ali: The defender's four-month ban will begin from the first matchday of ISL 2024-25. As per the tripartite agreement, he will be responsible for paying Mohun Bagan 50% of the Rs 12.90 crore compensation.
East Bengal: One of the Kolkata giants, East Bengal will bear the remaining 50% of the Rs 12.90 crore compensation and won't be able to register any new players for the next two transfer windows, i.e.- 2024 Winter window and 2025 Summer window.
Effectively, East Bengal is paying a total of Rs 32.95 crores (Rs 26.5 crores in transfer fee and salary; Rs 6.45 crores in fines) for Anwar Ali, making it a pocket hole for the club.
Delhi FC: Owned by Anwar's agent Ranjit Bajaj, Delhi FC will also serve a two-transfer window ban. They came out relatively unscathed from the whole fiasco.
However, all parties have the right to appeal the AIFF Players’ Status Committee’s decision to the AIFF Appeals Committee.