East Bengal, Chennai City Players Approach FPAI For Help Regarding Terminated Contracts
Reports suggest that Chennai City FC have agreed to pay Katsumi Yusa till March while he expects a salary till April. It's estimated that Katsumi's due salary amounts to $7000 (Rs 5.3 lakh).
Three players of Quess East Bengal have requested the help of the Football Players Association of India (FPAI) to receive salaries owed by the club. The players, who had one or two years lift in their ongoing deals, had their contracts terminated by Quess on May 1. The club and their chief sponsor cited force majeure and informed players that they won’t be getting their salary from May onwards.
“As of now the players want FPAI to help them get the salaries,” one source told The Telegraph. “Only three players have sought help, but the process has started so maybe others will also come.”
Three unspecified football players have also said they are only willing to stick around with East Bengal if their salaries are cleared and have stated that ‘they have offers from other clubs’, an official saidl.
The AIFF while not officially acknowledging the FPAI allows it to represent football players in the AIFF status committee and disciplinary committee meetings if the footballer submits a letter of consent mentioning them as his official representative.
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Even as Indian players have involved the FPAI for negotiations, negotiations with foreign players have gotten more acrimonious. Japanese midfielder Katsumi Yusa has threatened to approach FIFA if Chennai City FC do not agree to pay his dues. The club’s former Spanish players Roberto Eslava Suarez, Sandro Rodriguez, Nauzet Santana are also expected to follow suit.
Chennai City FC also applied the force majeure clause terminating the foreigners contract last week. The bone of contention in Katsumi's case is that he wants the club to pay his salary till April and as he returned to his country six days after Chennai City’s last I-League match against Neroca FC on March 14, he also expected the club to cover his airfare cost.
However, reports suggest that the club has agreed to pay him until March. It's estimated that Katsumi's due salary amounts to $7000 (Rs 5.3 lakh).
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“Katsumi wants an amicable solution and doesn't want to drag this to FIFA. All he wants is April's salary and return airfare. He also has a fair case. The club had used his image on their social media platforms as promotions in April despite triggering the force majeure clause from March,” FPAI general manager Cyrus Confectioner said. “It meant that he still had a running contract with them for April. Katsumi's lawyers had written to CCFC, explaining every aspect. Now, we await CCFC's response. If we don't get a favourable reply by the end of this week, we will go to FIFA.”
FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) had ruled a case in favour of Katsumi a couple of months back over his contract dispute with East Bengal.
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