United Kerala likely to be disbanded
On a day the All India Football Federation’s commercial arm presented the idea of a new cash-rich football league, another Indian club said it could shut down citing lack of funds.
On a day the All India Football Federation’s commercial arm presented the idea of a new cash-rich football league, another Indian club said it could shut down citing lack of funds.
If United Kerala, who were relegated from the I-League last season, are disbanded they would be the third top club to fold up since 2010. Mahindra United were the first in 2010 followed by JCT, who like United Kerala were relegated, in 2011.
The Kerala team is unlikely to continue as majority shareholders Chirag Computers want to pull out. And while this company announced a tie-up with Tollygunge Agragami, which will soon be renamed as ‘Chirag United’, P Bhaskaran, managing director of Viva Kerala Private Limited, blamed them for not clearing dues and spoke of shutting down. “As per the agreement signed last year, Chirag were supposed to give us Rs 3.75 crore. They still owe us R 3 crore and didn’t even pay the last month’s salary to our players last season,” Bhaskaran told HT over the phone from Kochi.