Indian players, mainly from the now-disbanded I-League club DSK Shivajians FC, will apply for compensation from the $16-million fund created by Fifa and FIFPro, the world players' body.
In February this year, Fifa and FIFPro, the World Players' Union, had reached an agreement to establish the Fifa Fund for Football Players (Fifa FFP), which aimed to provide financial support to players who were not paid and had no chance of receiving the wages agreed with their clubs. Of the $16-million, Fifa has set aside $5 million for retrospective claims dating from July 2015 to the end of this month. The rest is allocated for the next three years.
Till June 15, as many as 441 players have applied worldwide, with 89 per cent from Europe and rest from other parts of the world. The last date for application is June 30 and the new mechanism will come into operation on July 1.
The notable names who will apply for compensation are former India captain Subrata Paul, former India defender Gouramangi Singh, Sanju Pradhan and Nirmal Chhetri.
All of them turned up for DSK Shivajians in the season 2016-17 and did not get their salaries once the season got over. Paul's due, it has been learnt, is a whopping Rs 28.10 lakh, while Nirmal and Sanju had to forfeit Rs 12 lakh and Rs eight lakh, respectively.
Paul's teammates like Sumit Passi, Rakshit Dagar, Milan Singh, Satyasen Singh, Soram Poirei, Holicharan Narzary are also expected to apply. Two footballers - Laxmikant Kattimani and Pratesh Shirodkar - from the now-disbanded Mumbai FC are also on the list of applicants. The players will have to apply through Football Players Association of India, the players body recognised by FIFPro.
After DSK Shivajians closed shop in 2017 without fulfilling their contractual obligations, the footballers had turned to the All India Football Federation's Players Status Committee for justice. Despite a favourable verdict, the players did not get their compensation since the club was already disbanded and its owners, the DSK Group, were in dire straits.
Now the Fifa Fund for Football players gives them hope.
"They will not get the entire amount, but some part, yes, players can expect," FPAI official Siddhartha Bhattacharya said.
"It's our hard-earned money. If I get even five per cent of the amount due then it's a huge thing. We work hard, break sweat to earn. I think this endeavour by Fifa and FIFPro is a welcome move," Paul, who was recently roped in by ISL franchise Hyderabad FC, told The Telegraph.
Agrees Gouramangi: "This happened long time back. If my contract amount was Rs 100, I did not get even Rs 10 from Shivajians. Now if I get even Rs 10, I would take it as a boost. I am not generalising, but some clubs have this habit of promising the moon. My request to a club will be please avoid making a promise which you can't keep. A footballer plans his expenses according to the amount he is promised. If that is not met, then how does he survive? I am not saying all the clubs take players for a ride. But due to one or two, everyone gets a bad name."
Gourmangi, for the record, is now an assistant coach of the senior team of FC Bengaluru United.
