File photo of Anwar Ali© X (Twitter)

India defender Anwar Ali, his current side East Bengal, and parent club Delhi FC on Thursday moved the Delhi High Court and sought a stay on the suspension imposed on the player by the All India Football Federation for “illegally terminating” his four-year contract with Mohun Bagan. The AIFF on Tuesday slapped a four-month suspension on Anwar after finding the defender “guilty” and asked him and the two clubs to pay a huge compensation of Rs 12.90 crore to Mohun Bagan.

“Yes, we have filed a writ petition with the Delhi High Court and the it has been listed for tomorrow. It is item number eight. All three parties have filed the petition on various grounds,” Delhi FC owner Ranjit Bajaj told PTI.

“How can we let the player lose out on matches in the coming days. You can get money back but you can’t get the matches back once they are played, you can’t get the time back,” he added.

East Bengal’s top official Debabrata Sarkar said that they have approached the Delhi HC as they don’t want the player to lose out on matches in the Indian Super League, starting Friday, until the AIFF’s Appeals Committee arrives at a decision on the matter.

“We have gone to the Appeals Committee, till the time the Appeals Committee decides we want Anwar to play, he should not be deprived of game time till that time. The player’s career should not be affected at all cost. That is our argument, nothing else. Let’s see what happens later,” Sarkar said.

Earlier, the AIFF’s players status committee also ruled that the Anwar’s parent club Delhi FC and East Bengal, with whom the defender had entered into a lucrative five-year deal, have been banned from registering players for two transfer windows — 2024-25 winter and 2025-26 summer.

The players status committee had stated that Anwar, East Bengal and Delhi FC are all jointly “liable” for the compensation amount which includes Rs 8.40 crore for the residual value of the contract, Rs 2 crore already paid to Delhi FC under loan agreement, and Rs 2.50 crore for other “damages suffered by the club.” The transfer of the India centre-back to East Bengal had sparked a controversy in Kolkata Maidan.

The 23-year-old had played a key role in Mohun Bagan’s ISL Shield-winning campaign last season, scoring three goals and one assist in 26 games.

Mohun Bagan challenged the player’s move to East Bengal by filing a complaint with the AIFF’s player status committee.

Indian defender Anwar Ali‘s move from Mohun Bagan Super Giant To East Bengal has been a hot topic of debate for several months. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has decided to Anwar a suspension for four months after finding him guilty of terminating his four-year loan deal with Mohun Bagan Super Giant. That isn’t all, as a result of the Anwar Ali deal, his parent club Delhi FC, and East Bengal, the club he was recently loaned to, have been barred from registering new players for two transfer windows.

“Anwar Ali will serve a four-month sporting ban, while East Bengal and Delhi FC will face two transfer window bans, starting from the January transfer window. All three parties – Anwar Ali, Delhi FC and East Bengal – must pay Rs 12.90 crores in compensation to Mohun Bagan,” AIFF’s Players’ Statue Committee (PSC) said in its judgment on Tuesday.

Four months of Anwar Ali’s ban

Delhi FC and East Bengal are prohibited from signing any new players for TWO registration windows.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant is eligible to receive COMPENSATION from Anwar, East Bengal, & Delhi FC in the amount of Rs 12.9 crore.#anwarali #PSC pic.twitter.com/KdwcNhHzWo

— Prantik Mukherjee (@its_prantik) September 10, 2024

One of the pillars of the Indian national team’s defence, Anwar has played 22 matches for the Blue Tigers so far since making his international debut in March 2022, winning the Tri-Nation series (2023), the Intercontinental Cup (2023) and the SAFF Championship (2023).

The 23-year-old has represented the national team at all age group levels from U-17 to the senior team. He was a vital member of the Indian team that participated in the U-17 FIFA World Cup in 2017 on home soil.

Anwar rose through the youth set-up of the Minerva Academy before rising to prominence whilst playing for the AIFF’s developmental side in 2017. In the Indian Super League, Anwar has played a total of 46 matches so far since 2021.

Besides being one of the finest centre-backs in the country, Anwar has also displayed his knack for scoring on multiple occasions. Anwar not only scored three goals and provided one assist across 26 matches last season, he was also the top scorer for Delhi FC in the 2021 I-League Qualifiers (four goals).

In last season’s ISL, Anwar registered four clean sheets, 18 interceptions, 17 tackles, 45 successful duels. 19 successful aerial duels, 9 blocks, 67 recoveries, 52 clearances and 549 successful passes in 16 matches.

With ANI Inputs