The curtain has fallen on the 2024/25 I-League season, but the league title remains undecided as both Churchill Brothers and Inter Kashi await a disciplinary ruling. The case centers on three points awarded to Inter after Namdhari FC allegedly fielded an ineligible player in their match against them. Churchill, who finished atop the standings on the final day and were declared provisional champions, firmly believe the title rightfully belongs to them. Frustrated by what they perceive as deliberate delays by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in confirming the championship, the Goa-based club has withdrawn from the 2025 Super Cup in protest.
The controversy began after Inter’s match against Namdhari in January, which Namdhari won 2–0. However, it was later revealed that Namdhari had fielded Brazilian striker De, who was supposed to be suspended after accumulating four yellow cards in previous matches. As a result, the AIFF annulled Namdhari’s victory and awarded Inter a 3–0 win, granting the Varanasi-based side three crucial points.
Namdhari promptly filed an appeal, arguing that the AIFF’s Competition Management System (CMS) had not flagged De as suspended for the match, implying they had no reason to bench him. The AIFF Appeals Committee accepted the appeal, temporarily withholding the three points from Inter and placing the result of the match under review. This allowed Churchill to finish the season at the top of the table, holding a two-point lead over Inter and being provisionally crowned champions.
Should Inter eventually be awarded the disputed points, they would leapfrog Churchill to claim the I-League title—along with promotion to next season’s Indian Super League.
However, with the Appeals Committee scheduled to announce its final decision on April 28th, the timing directly clashes with the curtain-raiser of the 2025 Super Cup, which traditionally features a showdown between the ISL champions and the I-League winners—in this case, Mohun Bagan Super Giant versus either Churchill or Inter.
The delay has sparked frustration from Churchill owner, Churchill Alemao.
“I’m not sure whether Churchill will play in the Super Cup,” Alemao told Sportstar. “We have not received justice because my team has yet to be awarded the I-League trophy. We finished top of the table, and still, no decision has been made. Football should not be played in corruption. The whole world is laughing. If justice is not served, how will Indian football rise? First, I want my league trophy. Then, I will think about another trophy.”
Feeling cheated and unjustly treated by the AIFF, Churchill officially announced their withdrawal from the Super Cup. In a statement shared on social media, the club said the decision was made “in protest against the AIFF’s unfair and opaque seeding process.” They further claimed they had been “denied our rightful place and trophy, against the rules, spirit, and integrity of football.”
Regardless of who is ultimately crowned the 2024/25 I-League champion, both Churchill and Inter stand on the brink of making history in the Indian Super League.
If Churchill are declared the winners, they will join traditional heavyweights such as Bengaluru FC, Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, and Mohammedan SC in taking on the ISL’s emerging franchise-based powerhouses like Odisha FC, Mumbai City FC, and their Goan rivals, FC Goa.
On the other hand, if Inter are awarded the title, they will make history as the first team from Varanasi to compete in the top flight of Indian football.