Dempo unlikely to play in Super Cup

The one-off contest between the winners of I-League and Federation Cup on lines of the season opening Community Shield in England has not gone down well with Dempo coach Armando Colaco as he feels that the importance of the Super Cup gets diluted when played at end of the season.

"The players are reluctant to play the Super Cup. They are tired after an extended season and have no motivation left," Armando Colaco wrote in a letter to the All India Football Federation (AIFF), insisting that the staging of the Super Cup serves no purpose.

"My players have won the biggest prize this season. Is there anything more to achieve?" asked Colaco, who guided Dempo to a record fourth I-League triumph in six years to become the most successful Indian coach.

"Even if the Super Cup is held, I can assure you from experience, that the players will only go through the motions. They will only be completing formalities," he said.

"The one-off contest offers big prize money. Instead that money can be utilised towards youth development," Colaco suggested.

With I-League set to come to a close on the 28th May, it looks that the season curtain closer or the Super Cup game could possibly be held at start of next month.

In response to the letter by Dempo, the AIFF said the Super Cup is a sponsored match and that since the apex body for football in India doesn't interfere with budgets of clubs, it is best if clubs don't poke their noses into AIFF financial matters.

There are question marks over sponsors for the Super Cup. The one off contest is a sponsored event, just like the I-League, but given the fact that ONGC has not yet entered into a sponsorship agreement with AIFF for the season which draws to a close in little more than a week, it is unlikely that the oil majors will throw their weight behind the Super Cup.