Investors hint at thawing of relations with MSC

Kolkata: There seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for crisis-ridden Mohammedan SC. A day after convincing Andrey Chernyshov to reconsider his decision to resign, Mohammedan SC investors said on Thursday that they have reached "a preliminary understanding" with the club about transfer of shares, hinting at the possibility of ending the ongoing impasse over outstanding dues of players as well as the Russian coach and his support staff."We are also pleased to share that substantial progress has been made regarding the issuance of shares to the investors. A preliminary understanding has been reached between the club and its principal investors, making an important step forward in this matter," BunkerHill and Shrachi Sports — the two major investors of the Mohammedan Sporting Club Pvt Ltd, the company which runs the football team — said in a joint statement on Thursday. The investors also kept faith in Chernyshov — who flew back home in the wee hours of Thursday — for shaping the future of the Indian Super League debutants."We are pleased to announce that head coach Andrey Chernyshov has decided to reconsider his earlier decision to step down from his role at Mohammedan Sporting Club (MSC)... Chernyshov has been instrumental in shaping MSC's ISL campaign, and his dedication to the team's growth has been invaluable. We deeply appreciate his contributions and sincerely hope that he will continue to guide MSC toward greater success, furthering the development of both the club and its players," the investors further noted in the statement.Bunkerhill and Shrachi Sports have recently stopped funding Mohammedan SC's football team for not getting the requisite shares from the club. This resulted in the players threatening to boycott training over unpaid wages and Chernyshov announcing his resignation in a social media post citing non-payment of his salary for three months. "We anticipate that once the share issuance matter is concluded, the dues will be cleared without further delay," the investors said. Chernyshov is expected to arrive ahead of the team's another derby against East Bengal FC, scheduled to take place on Feb 16.