Football News: Minerva Punjab pulls out of Super Cup, wants to meet Praful Patel

I-League outfit Minerva Punjab FC, which was slated to take on FC Pune City in the first qualifier of the Super Cup, has pulled out of the competition. Former I-league champions, who were practicing in Bhubneshwar did not turn up for their match against FC Pune City. Ranjit Bajaj, Minerva Punjab owner, had already confirmed a day before that his team didn’t attend the Match Coordination meeting and the official pre-match press conference. He had added that the team will be returning home. The All India Football Federation (AIFF), which has come under attack from most of the I-League clubs for its apparent laid-back approach to the League, expressed its disappointment and said in a statement: “This is extremely disappointing, and a blatant disregard for the Federation. In case of Minerva Punjab FC not taking the field the rules and regulations of the tournament will be invoked, and the matter is forwarded to the relevant authority for further action and decision.” Bajaj, too, however, quoted the rule book and said: “The AIFF cannot sanction us. We withdrew before the commencement of the competition.”