 "Football clubs may cut renewal contracts")
For the first time in the past 10 years, budget allocations for renewing contracts of leading football clubs are likely to be reduced. There are apprehensions while most foreign players might continue to command the same fees, many domestic players could face a cut.
On an average, a football club’s annual budget for player contracts stands at Rs 15 crore. After financial irregularities involving Sudipta Sen-led Saradha Group, one of the lead sponsors for Mohun Bagan AC, were unearthed last month, the budget for contract renewals of players is likely to fall. Debashish Dutta, financial secretary of the club, said no sector in the state was out of the reach of chit fund companies. Often, football clubs had received decent sponsorship deals from these companies, he added. “Now that the firm has gone bust and many such firms are also under stress, the budget for renewal of the contracts will definitely see a cut of about 30 per cent. Some common ground has to be arrived at with players,” he said.
Another official from the club told Business Standard the annual pay of Odafe Onyeka Okolie, who played for Mohun Bagan, was likely to see a 20 per cent cut. “This is inevitable. When the total team budget is trimmed, individual players would also face cuts. Odafe is the highest-paid foreign footballer in the country,” the official said.
According to reports, Odafe had signed a Rs 2-crore-a-year deal to join Mohun Bagan AC. His contract is set to expire in the 2012-13 season, according to information available on the Indian Football Association website. The fees of Tolgay Ozbey, Syed Rahim Nabi and Nirmal Chettri — all Mohun Bagan players — might not rise. When contacted, Ozbey said: “I am in no position to comment. There is no concern. I am sure it will soon be sorted out.”
Owing to a delay in procuring money from co-sponsors, some Mohun Bagan AC players haven’t received salaries for April yet. “We had a meeting with those players over the salary issue; this is being solved. We are paying from our own funds at the moment,” Dutta said.
For Kingfisher East Bengal, the fees of leading players such as Uga Okpara, Edeh Chidi, Mehtab Hossain and Sanju Pradhan might not get raise in their new contracts. Some domestic players, on the other hand, might even see a pay cut.
Rose Valley, which offers holiday memberships and is under the lens of Serious Fraud Investigation Office, is a sponsor of Kingfisher East Bengal.
It is believed a primary reason why such firms are associated with the state’s sports clubs is the absence of big companies investing in this space (during the terms of the former as well as the current state governments).
East Bengal official Debabrata Sarkar said no decision had been taken on the matter yet. “Let this season end. Then we would sit and discuss how to go forward about the renewal of contracts,” he said.