Locked in a battle with Churchill Brothers to avoid relegation from the I-League, Chennai City FC has asked the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to grant it immunity this season.
A stunning 2-1 win over leader Minerva Punjab on Friday helped Chennai City FC breathe easy, days after being at the receiving end of a 7-1 drubbing by another title contenders East Bengal.
Chennai City has already finished its league engagements with 19 points from 18 matches, while Churchill Brothers has 17 points from as many outings. With Churchill visiting Minerva Punjab for its last game on March 8, Chennai is confident of escaping relegation.
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“We spoke to them (AIFF) about relegation long back. The AIFF said they will speak to me after the league is over. No final decision has been taken till now,” Chennai City owner Rohit Ramesh said.
Chennai City and Churchill Brothers are currently placed eighth and ninth in the league table. Gokulam Kerala (7th) and Indian Arrows (10th) are exempted from relegation.
The Goa-based Churchill Brothers will need to secure a win in the last match against Minerva Punjab to save it from relegation. If it manages to bag full three points, Churchill will finish the league with 20 points to Chennai City’s 19. However, a Chennai City official is confident that it would scrape through.
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“Though they lost to us in the last game, Minerva Punjab are a very dangerous side at home and Churchill Brothers will not have it easy against them. Let’s wait till the last day of league and then only can we talk about relegation and all, which is completely AIFF’s decision,” the official said.
If East Bengal manages to get six points from its last two games, then it will also finish on 35 points but win the title owing to a better head-to-head record against Minerva.
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