Fifa provides us with hope, says Churchill Bros CEO Valanka Alemao

PANAJI: Churchill Brothers Sports Club are keeping the faith that they will return to the mainstream of Indian football sooner rather than later.
One of India’s most consistent and entertaining teams in the combined history of the National Football League and I-League, the former champions were left out of the last two editions of the I-League after failing to meet the stringent AFC club licensing criteria.Since then, Churchill Brothers have knocked on the doors of justice, requested the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to reconsider their case and even made a trip to Zurich where they pleaded their case before Fifa, the governing body for world football.
Not much happened, though, but a chance meeting with Fifa president Gianni Infantino during his recent visit to Goa has provided Churchill Brothers with a ray of hope.
“The Fifa president was very clear that legacy, passion and commercial viability are three things that you have to take into consideration before moving forward (with the new restructuring plan),” said Churchill Brothers CEO Valanka Alemao.
Valanka, along with other Goan I-League club representatives, was among the invitees for a dinner hosted by AIFF vice-president Shrinivas Dempo for the Fifa president. The Goan delegation met Infantino and were pleased with what they heard.
“The AIFF president himself (Praful Patel) introduced us as the only family-run club in India. Infantino was pleasantly surprised to hear that. Nobody needs to be reminded about the contribution to Indian football made by my father (Churchill Alemao),” said Valanka.
Goa’s big clubs – Dempo Sports Club, Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa – are fighting for their survival in the top league after the AIFF suggested that the Indian Super League (ISL) will become the top tier league from next season and the I-League, where three Goan teams are involved, will be relegated to the second division. None of the teams from the second division will have any provision to qualify for the top tier, at least for the next few years.
“Infantino said that legacy and passion is something that you cannot ignore, and he did that in front of the AIFF president. You cannot have commercial viability alone as a decisive factor. There is hope for all of us,” said Valanka.
Incidentally, Valanka had travelled to the Fifa headquarters in Switzerland to plead the club’s case before the governing body of world football when Sepp Blatter was at the helm of affairs. And, a year later, when a new president –Gianni Infantino –took charge, he was in Goa, willing to give all of them a patient hearing.
“With God’s grace, anything is possible. You have to keep working towards your goal in life. We should keep trying. I am hopeful,” said Valanka.