Minerva train but miss pre-match meet; AIFF calls it 'blatant disregard'

Bhubaneswar: Barely hours before the tournament's scheduled kick-off, the Super Cup was shrouded in uncertainty with Minerva Punjab FC giving the customary pre-match conference and meeting a miss, prompting the All India Football Federation to label it as "blatant disregard".

A cloud of uncertainty hung over the fate of the tournament after eight I-League clubs Tuesday pulled out citing unfair treatment by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).

"While representatives from three clubs — FC Pune City, Kerala Blasters FC and Indian Arrows — were present on both occasions, Minerva Punjab FC did not attend either despite being present in Bhubaneswar," the AIFF said in a statement. "This is extremely disappointing, and a blatant disregard for the federation," the apex body added. As per the schedule, former I-League champions Minerva Punjab are slated to play Indian Super League franchise FC Pune City on Friday, the opening day of the qualifiers.

In case Minerva Punjab stick to their decision to withdraw, the AIFF said the "rules and regulations of the tournament will be invoked", and the matter forwarded to the relevant authority for further action and decision.

The Super Cup is scheduled to be held in Bhubaneswar, with the qualifiers starting from March 15. The final is slated for April 13.

Minerva, along with seven other teams, had Tuesday pointed out that the I-League clubs are being neglected in all aspects by the country's football federation.

The clubs said it had written a letter to the AIFF in February regarding multiple concerns such as the future of the league but they are "yet to hear back" from the federation.

Minerva also highlighted how the AIFF has "not provided any financial assistance to the participating teams" despite having a title sponsor for the event. With no AFC competitions also on offer, the club felt the competition lacked any incentive for the teams.