Margao, Dec 4: With All India Football Federation refusing to accept Dempo's request to postpone today's game due to non-availability of its seven players who are doing national duty at the ongoing SAFF Cup in New Delhi, the aggrieved team management today said that they would play their 8th round I-League match against Churchill Brothers at the Nehru stadium here under protest.
“We have written to the match commissioner Walter Pereira that we are playing the match under protest,” stated Dempo's manager, Custodio Almedia.
Dempo have stated in their letter that they would approach the judicial body of the AIFF in the event of an unfavourable result and should that appeal go unheard, they would knock on the doors of appropriate bodies in the FIFA and AFC,” stated Almedia.
“We got a late response from the AIFF that due to several constraints, they would not be able to postpone the round or the match. The main reason was television coverage, besides several other teams had already played their eight round match,” he said.
