AIFF’s revenge spree against Fransa Pax

According to Fransa coach Norbert Gonsalves, the AIFF move was aimed at ensuring Fransa’s relegation. “This is absolute nonsense. No other Goan team is playing as many home matches as we are in the first phase. I’m sure this has something to do with what happened last year. I will have to talk to my bosses about this and see what can be done,” he said.

During their NFL encounter last year against Salgaocar, Fransa president Micky Pacheco had issued a final warning to the AIFF against what he termed as mockery on the field. He protested against referee Shaji Kurian’s decision to award Salgaocar a penalty that ensured a 2-1 win for the latter. Micky had also queried the decision of appointing Salgaocar boss Shivanand Salgaocar in the NFL core-committee since he was also the AIFF treasurer.

Top five match-ups: Jan 8: Mohun Bagan vs Mahindra (Kolkata); Jan 15: Mahindra vs Dempo (Mumbai); Jan 22: Mohun Bagan vs East Bengal (Kolkata); Jan 27: Salgaocar vs Mahindra (Goa); Feb 8: Dempo vs East Bengal (Goa).