FIFA has decided to reach out to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) after Mohun Bagan raised concerns about the prolonged delay in resolving the transfer dispute involving defender Anwar Ali. The matter has remained stuck for nearly a year and-a-half, prompting the Kolkata club to escalate the issue to world football’s governing body.
Mohun Bagan approached FIFA on November 14, stating that they were frustrated after the AIFF’s appeals committee indefinitely postponed its hearing due to the resignation of one of its panel members. With no clarity on when the case would be taken up again, the club sought external intervention.
In its reply to Mohun Bagan on Sunday, the secretariat of FIFA’s judicial bodies acknowledged receipt of the complaint and confirmed that it would be contacting the AIFF to examine the delay.
The controversy stems from Anwar’s decision to terminate his loan deal with Mohun Bagan on July 8, 2024, before seeking a move to East Bengal. Mohun Bagan challenged the move, claiming it was unjustified, and the case eventually reached the AIFF’s Player Status Committee (PSC).
In its interim verdict, the PSC ruled the termination invalid, imposing a four-month suspension on the player and placing transfer-window bans on East Bengal and Delhi FC, Anwar’s parent club. The order also mentioned that Mohun Bagan were entitled to compensation of Rs 12.9 crore.
However, Anwar, East Bengal and Delhi FC took the matter to the Delhi High Court, which stayed the PSC’s interim order and instructed the AIFF appeals panel to conduct a fresh hearing.
Despite the court’s direction, the appeals committee listed the matter only on December 23, 2024 — nearly three months after it was filed — and since then, the hearing has been repeatedly deferred. Over the past 11 months, the case has made no headway even as Anwar has continued to feature for both club and country.
Mohun Bagan, in their letter to FIFA, alleged that the consistent postponements and lack of clarity put them at a disadvantage, both competitively and financially. They also requested permission to escalate the matter to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if the delay persisted.
The club highlighted what it described as “procedural stagnation” and added that the long wait for a final verdict had denied them a fair chance to seek timely justice.
With FIFA now stepping in to seek AIFF’s explanation, the long-pending case may finally move toward a resolution. The global body’s intervention could push the federation to restart the appeal proceedings or outline a timeline for concluding the dispute.
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