Minerva Punjab owner Ranjit Bajaj on Friday threatened to shut down the club after six years of existence citing step motherly treatment from the All India Football Federation and Football Sports Development Limited which runs the Indian Super League.
Bajaj made the statement after the Odisha Sports Authority denied the former I-League champions an opportunity to host matches at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifiers. The stadium is expected to undergo renovation after the completion of the ongoing Super Cup tournament.
Although the Chandigarh-based club have been asked to seek for an alternative venue, Bajaj expressed his displeasure at the intervention of AIFF and FSDL run by IMG Reliance that saw the Odisha Sports Authority revoke permission for hosting the matches. Bajaj lashed out at the federation in a series of tweets after the Odisha Sports Authority told him to speak to the AIFF and FSDL.
Bajaj also revealed that a change in venue would result in disqualification for Minerva.
Minerva Punjab had earlier pulled out of the ongoing Super Cup along with seven other I-League teams, citing unfair treatment to the clubs by the AIFF.
Former champions Minerva Punjab finished 10th in the just-concluded 2018-19 season of the league.
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Minerva Punjab pointed out that the I-League clubs are being neglected in all aspects by the country’s football federation.
Eight I-League clubs had written a letter to the AIFF in February this year regarding multiple concerns such as the future of the league. Several clubs are worried that the I-League may be relegated to the second tier in the domestic restructuring this coming season on the direction of the AFC.
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Busy with work related to the upcoming general elections, AIFF President Patel has agreed to meet the agitating clubs between April 10-15.
(with PTI inputs)
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