AIFF hell bent in ensuring my team does not become champions: Churchill Alemao

Panaji: Churchill Brothers FC owner Churchill Alemao has claimed that a section of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is at work to ensure that his team does not win the I-League, Indian football’s second-tier club competition.
Churchill Bros have won the I-League twice in the past and are now league leaders, favourites to win the title for the third time. If they become champions, Churchill will win promotion to the top-tier Indian Super League (ISL) on sporting merit.
The club has however claimed that there are obstacles along their way.
“The manner in which football is being administered in the country is very disheartening,” Alemao, who is also the club president, said in a post on social media accounts on Sunday. “If you recall, sometime back I had even spoken about closing down my club. It has become so frustrating. More so of late, it appears as though tournaments like the I-League have been rigged so that results favour one particular team. Referees’ decisions in so many games have gone against my team and other teams just to push a particular team. It looks as though certain sections of the AIFF are hell bent in ensuring that my team does not become champions.”
Alemao’s post criticising the match officials and certain sections of the AIFF is a consequence of the 1-1 home draw against Sreenidi Deccan on Sunday, a match that saw referee Crystal John award a penalty in the 100th minute of play when seven minutes of added-on time was shown. The club has now lodged an official protest against “obvious errors” by the referee.
“What transpired in our match against Sreenidi Deccan was simply baffling. We led 1-0 with 90 minutes having been played. The referee Crystal John, no newcomer to controversy, added seven more minutes. But even after nine minutes of added-on time was played, he did not blow the final whistle, despite looking at his watch twice after eight minutes had been played and the fourth official telling our head coach that the final kick of the match was after we got the free kick. The referee then awarded a dubious penalty when the player was clearly offside.
“The match ended 1-1 and we lost two more precious points, thanks to Crystal John’s crystal-clear blunders. It appears he was hell bent on preventing us from gaining three full points and increasing the lead at the top of the table, so that teams below us at No 2 and No 3 can benefit in the end,” said Alemao.
The Churchill Bros president pointed out that Crystal was the referee who officiated the ISL clash between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters where a controversially taken free-kick led to Blasters walking out in protest. “Why should the AIFF persist with such referees and spoil the clubs and maybe the entire tournament time and again,” he asked.
A former chief minister of Goa, Alemao said India is aware of his love and passion for football as he has been running his club for the past four decades, rubbing shoulders with the best teams in the country. He asked the media media to kindly look into various issues connected with the match and the I-League itself so that corrective measures are adopted.
“If not, I would have to once again consider withdrawing my club from the I-League. But remember one thing; when God is with us nobody can be against us and we have full faith in almighty God that nobody can take the title away from us,” said Alemao.