Embarrassment for AIFF as CAS declares Inter Kashi as I-League champions

In April, nearly three weeks after the I-League season concluded, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) awarded the championship trophy to Churchill Brothers. Now, three months later, the federation is being forced to hold another presentation—this time to crown Inter Kashi as the rightful champions.

This follows a ruling by the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which overturned the AIFF Appeal Committee’s earlier decision that had declared Churchill Brothers the winners.

CAS ruled in favour of Inter Kashi, stating that the Varanasi-based team should be recognised as the actual champions of the second division. The judgment, delivered on Friday, brings an end to a prolonged controversy that had marred what was otherwise a thrilling season.

The ruling is another setback for the AIFF, which is already under criticism. The federation had previously taken the side of Churchill Brothers after penalising Inter Kashi for allegedly fielding an ineligible player—an issue that had cost them points and pushed them down to second place.

Inter Kashi took their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which ultimately ruled in their favour and instructed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to overturn its earlier decision. According to the Press Trust of India, the Lausanne-based court ordered, “The AIFF shall forthwith declare Inter Kashi FC as the winner of the I-League 2024–25 season. The appeal filed on 4 June 2025 by Inter Kashi FC against the decision issued on 31 May 2025 by the Appeal Committee of the All-India Football Federation is partially upheld. The decision issued on 31 May 2025 by the Appeal Committee of the All India Football Federation is set aside.”

The dispute began on January 13, when Inter Kashi lost 2-0 to Namdhari in an I-League match. Following the game, Inter Kashi challenged the outcome, alleging that Namdhari had used an ineligible player, Cledson Carvalho da Silva, known as Dé, Indian Express reported.

They argued that Dé should have been serving a suspension, claiming he had accumulated four yellow cards over the season. The issue was further complicated by the fact that one of those yellow cards had resulted in a sending-off, making the interpretation of his suspension status unclear.

The AIFF’s Disciplinary Committee, led by a former Uttarakhand High Court judge, took over a month to deliver its decision. On February 24, the committee ruled in favour of Inter Kashi, awarding them a 3-0 victory and pushing them ahead of Churchill Brothers in the standings.

Namdhari FC quickly challenged the ruling, arguing that the AIFF’s internal portal hadn’t indicated the player in question was suspended, which is why they included him in the lineup.

Nearly a month later, on March 27, the AIFF’s Appeals Committee — chaired by a former judge of the Allahabad High Court — suspended the disciplinary panel’s decision. This reinstated Churchill Brothers at the top of the table. The committee decided to resume hearings on the matter on April 28, well after the league season had officially ended.