Churchill Brothers Crowned I-League Champions Amid CAS Dispute, AIFF Faces Scrutiny

Hours after Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) stayed AIFF's decision to declare Churchill Brothers as I League champions and barred it from conducting any formal felicitation ceremony, the national federation awarded the winners trophy to the Goan club, a development which may invite action from the international body. (More Football News)

All India Football Federation (AIFF) deputy Secretary General M Satyanarayan presented the trophy to Churchill Brothers and claimed that they learnt about the CAS order only after the ceremony was conducted.

CAS order came on an application filed by Inter Kashi.

Elizabeth Steiner, the Deputy President of the Appeals Arbitration Division of the CAS, had barred AIFF from conducting any medal ceremony till the case is decided.

Inter Kashi President Prithiijit Das said that the CAS order came around 1:30pm IST on Sunday while Satyanarayan gave away the trophy to Churchill at around 4pm.

"The CAS order came around 1:30pm IST and the mail was marked to AIFF also," Das told PTI.

Satyanarayan, however, said that the AIFF came to know of the CAS order only after he had already given away the trophy to Churchill Brothers. He said since the AIFF Secretariat was closed on Sunday and he being on a flight, he came to know of the CAS order late in the day.

"I was on a flight to Goa to give away the trophy and it being a Sunday, the AIFF Secretariat is closed. I came to know about it only after I gave away the trophy," he told PTI.

"We have followed the Delhi High Court and AIFF Appeals Committee order and now we will see what can be done after consulting the lawyers." He did say that the AIFF will have to obey the CAS' final ruling on the matter.

"After the hearing, whatever the CAS rules, we have to obey it and then we have to act accordingly."

AIFF and Churchill Brothers were among the respondents in the case before the Switzerland-based CAS.

How the world football governing body FIFA and the CAS react to the development is to be seen.

CAS is the highest sports tribunal in the world and all the sports bodies are bound to obey its directions. Whether the AIFF is able to explain the timeline as to how it was not able to receive the CAS order on time will be important.

The AIFF later issued a statement defending its position.

"The I-League 2024-25 presentation ceremony was concluded on Sunday, April 27, 2025, in Goa. During the event, the champions’ trophy and winners’ medals were formally presented to Churchill Brothers FC Goa, as per Appeals Committee order and representation made by AIFF to Hon’ble Delhi High Court on April 23, 2025.

"The AIFF would like to clarify that, with regard to CAS order, due to a holiday in the AIFF Secretariat, the Federation was only informed of the order at a time when the ceremony had already been concluded in Goa.

The AIFF remains committed to adhering to all regulatory and legal processes and will take appropriate action."

In an order passed "on request for provisional measures", Steiner barred the AIFF from conducting any medal ceremony till the case is decided.

"The decision rendered by the Appeal Committee of All India Football Federation rendered on 18 April 2025 is stayed," Steiner said in an 'ex parte' order.

"The All India Football Federation is ordered not to declare the winner of the I-League 2024/2025 or organise a medal ceremony for the I-League 2024-25 until the present arbitration has been concluded," said the Austrian jurist.

In 'ex parte' order, the proceeding or action involves only one party without notice to the other. These orders are in place only until further hearings can be held.

The CAS granted the respondents, including the AIFF and Churchill Brothers "a time limit to file a full reply to the application for provisional measures until 29 April 2025."

Churchill Brothers had finished provisionally on top of the table with 40 points after the final round on April 6. But, their title and Indian Super League promotion were subject to the outcome of Inter Kashi's disputed points from their January 13 match against Namdhari SC, which the latter had won 2-0.

The AIFF Disciplinary Committee had awarded a 3-0 forfeit win and three points to Inter Kashi after ruling that Namdhari fielded an 'ineligible player'.

That decision would have taken Inter Kashi to 42 points, enough to clinch the title. However, the AIFF Appeals Committee later put the Disciplinary Committee order "inoperative and in abeyance" pending a final hearing.

After a delayed process, including a postponed April 12 hearing due to Namdhari's counsel citing "sickness", the AIFF's Appeals Committee on April 18 set aside the Disciplinary Committee's order and ruled in favour of Churchill.

On the basis of its Appeal Committee ruling, the AIFF had declared Churchill Brothers as I-League champions.