The Football Players’ Association of India (FPAI) is planning to approach the (All India Football Federation) AIFF seeking the parent body’s intervention after East Bengal's investors Quess Corp controversially terminated the players’ contract in wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
The Bangalore-based Quess Corp, which has snapped ties with the club, had terminated the players’ contracts last month by activating the ‘Force Majeure’ clause.
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 paid their dues after the I-League season was called off.
“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.
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There are a host of Indians, among them are Lalrindika Ralte, Brandon Vanlalremdika, Abhishek Ambekar, Asheer Akhtar, Samad Ali Mallick, Prakash Sarkar, Manoj Mohammed and Boithang Haokip, who 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,” Bhattacharya added,
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 investor.
“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.
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