Mohun Bagan directs players to withdraw from India national camp ahead of Unity Cup

Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s decision to pull seven players from India’s national camp ahead of the Unity Cup has left coach Khalid Jamil scrambling to reshape his squad days before the team’s opening match in London. The club’s position, reported on May 23 and May 24, was that the tournament falls outside FIFA’s international window and that players would be participating at their own risk if they went. (firstpost.com) India had named a 28-man squad for the four-team event, but the withdrawals cut deeply into the core group Jamil had assembled for his first assignment in charge. AIFF has since accused the club of making a late reversal after earlier cooperation on travel and visa formalities. (indianexpress.com) ### Why did Mohun Bagan stop the players from going? Mohun Bagan’s central argument was tied to FIFA’s international calendar. (sportstar.thehindu.com) The club told players it would not cover injuries sustained at the Unity Cup because the matches are scheduled before FIFA’s next international window opens on June 1, according to The Indian Express and Firstpost. A club source told The Indian Express that when players appear for India during an official FIFA window, FIFA’s protection rules apply, but that protection does not extend to this tournament. Firstpost, citing a senior official, reported the club’s view that it was not duty-bound to release players and would face uncompensated injury risk if it did so. (indianexpress.com) ### Which players were affected? Seven Mohun Bagan players were part of India’s original plans for the Unity Cup. The names reported across outlets were Vishal Kaith, Abhishek Singh Tekcham, Sahal Abdul Samad, Anirudh Thapa, Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco and Suhail Ahmad Bhat, while Lalengmawia Ralte, also named in the broader squad process, was listed by Outlook as injured. (indianexpress.com) Firstpost reported that Jamil was left with only 18 players for the tournament after the withdrawals. Outlook said the seven players had joined the national camp in Bengaluru by May 22 but did not travel to England. ### What has AIFF said in response? (indianexpress.com) AIFF said on May 25 that it had informed clubs in April about the Unity Cup and rejected claims that it does not support injured national-team players. Outlook reported that the federation called the allegations false and said it bears medical and rehabilitation costs for players on national duty. The federation also said Mohun Bagan had cooperated during the biometric visa process before changing course shortly before departure. (indianexpress.com) Outlook reported that tickets were cancelled less than 12 hours before take-off, leaving the national team to travel with a reduced squad. ### Why is the FIFA window so important here? (firstpost.com) FIFA’s Club Protection Programme covers clubs when players are injured while on duty with senior national teams during dates listed on the international match calendar, The Indian Express reported. That distinction matters because the Unity Cup runs from May 26 to May 30, before the next FIFA window begins on June 1. (outlookindia.com) The injury issue was not theoretical for Mohun Bagan. The Indian Express said the club pointed to previous cases involving Subhasish Bose and Ashique Kuruniyan as examples of players getting hurt around national-team duty, and argued that compensation and treatment support had become a recurring point of dispute. (outlookindia.com) ### How is India trying to plug the gap before the first match? Sportstar reported on May 24 that AIFF and the team management identified five replacements: Mohammed Sanan, Ricky Meetei Haobam, Vikram Partap Singh, Macarton Louis Nickson and Lalremtluanga Fanai. Their inclusion depended on fast-tracked visa clearance as India raced to rebuild the squad before kickoff. (indianexpress.com) India are scheduled to face Jamaica at The Valley in London on May 27 and then play either Nigeria or Zimbabwe on May 30, according to Sportstar and Outlook. Those fixtures will be the next test of whether the federation can complete the late squad adjustments in time. (sportstar.thehindu.com) (indianexpress.com)