East Bengal players to approach AIFF through players' body

The Football Players' Association of India (FPAI) is planning to approach the AIFF seeking parent body's intervention after East Bengal Club's investors Quess Corp controversially terminated the players' contract in wake of COVID-19 pandemic which brought sporting activities to halt.

The Bangalore-based investors Quess Corp, who have snapped ties, last month had terminated the players', officials contracts activating the 'Force Majeure' clause in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as they had moved FPAI. Force Majeure is a legal term which means "unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone from fulfilling a contract".

A number of East bengal players had approached FPAI after they were told they won't be given salaries after the I-League's remaining matches couldn't be held. "Previously only three-four players had come now we have around 12 of them and we are looking into their contracts. First we will approach the investors (Quess Corp) and after hearing their reply we will go to the AIFF Player’s Status Committee," FPAI’s player liaison officer Siddhartha Bhattacharya told PTI.

Some of the players including East Bengal's top Spanish winger Jaime Santos Colado has two years contract left. There are a host of Indians, among them Lalrindika Ralte, Brandon Vanlalremdika, Abhishek Ambekar, Asheer Akhtar, Samad Ali Mallick, Prakash Sarkar, Manoj Mohammed and Boithang Haokip, have one or more years remaining in their contracts.

"All of them have sent their contracts and we have divided them into two categories as per the tenure left." FPAI general manager Cyrus Confectioner has already spoken to the East Bengal officials and said they cannot be in denial as its the club that makes the contract not the investors. "Quess contract runs till May 31 but it's the club who will be liable to clear the players' dues as a player signs a contract with a club and not its investor," Confectioner said.