KOLKATA: Plans for a new football league in West Bengal have been jeopardised after organisers were denied permission to seek the transfer of high-profile foreign players.
Argentine legend Hernan Crespo, Italy’s World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and Robbie Fowler of England were among six semi-retired world stars due to play in the Premier Soccer League (PLS).
The new league, made up of six teams from towns in West Bengal, was set to start late March.
But the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) suspended the PLS late on Saturday from taking part in FIFA’s Transfer Matching System because the six new teams were not affiliated to the sport’s governing body.
With the transfer window due to close on February 15, the Indian Football Association (IFA)—the name of the body running the sport in West Bengal—faces a race against time to put the PLS back on track.
Despite the setback, IFA secretary Utpal Ganguli was confident the PLS would still go ahead from March 24 to May 6.
“The transfers were stopped due to a misunderstandig, but everything will be cleared soon,” he said. (Agencies)
