Asfaaq (blue); transfered to DPMM FC of brunei for a transfer fee of US$ 10,000

It may not be a coveted attempt by the media or the biased reportage in the eventual transfer saga of Ashfaag to Brunei's DPMM FC that had shown New Radiant in bad light. It was more of how football fans took to the news and the different approaches adopted by the both the teams in the transfer of two of the Maldivian star players.

While Victory released its newly-signed Fazeel on a free transfer New Radiant had other ideas. That people found it difficult digest is another matter. Agreed, it may border on Reds generosity towards the welfare of local football yet New Radiant don't have to follow suit. New Radiant is a professional football club. They have stipulated rules and regulation in the event of a transfer of player under contract that they did abide by the rules and ask for a transfer fee is not in the slightest a criminal act. The point is no rule is broken by New Radiant; it is our blind reaction to decent transfer deal that had many people caught in the napping.

Yet some may say their main grievances were not wholly unfounded assuming we all want to see our teams and players to scale greater heights that is our national passion; make us once and for all proud. That has been our single most important dream to be realized sooner rather than later. That anybody who comes in the way or try to hinder our progress to achieve that target is a traitor.

Yet New Radiant have not done any mistake nor they deserve media flaks let alone football lovers outrage. Within the gambit of international transfer rules of players they have not flouted any sporting laws or regulations. They have never acted with an intention to be an impediment to a player's career. Rather, they have gone by the book and that Victory opted for a more generous free transfer is not the benchmark to judge another team. What Victory had adopted is their personal rule, not the FIFA's rule.

A player under contract with a club cannot play another club until his contract expires or there is mutual agreement between the two clubs which can be through free transfer or monetary compensation as transfer fee. That New Radiant opted for latter is no cause for controversy for the first Maldivian transfer of a player becomes a saga of epic proportion.

The truth is Maldivian football teams are not financially rich clubs; there are not many avenues to generate funds within the club. It is only those few generous hands and diehard fans that keep alive a football club. So when an opportunity arises to make few thousand bucks why not employ the option to the tilt? Ashfaag is under a contract and he is no mean player. He is one of the most feared strikers in the SAARC region, so why should he be let on a free transfer when there is a buyer and is asking for a rate? Moreover they did not bypass a FIFA rule, they went by it. It was a professional gesture to an international offer!

Those emotional outbursts by some football pundits and media alike towards New Radiant bespeak of immaturity. It is myopic of others to comment on an internal affair of another a football club. That some people took it as a personal vendetta by New Radiant against Ashfaag doesn't auger well of a professional football club trying its best to develop football in small island nation. It was in Ashfaag's contract that his services can be availed of by another club on the condition of a financial transfer. It was our mistake to inhibit such an extreme reactions, coloured by patriotic favour, to brand New Radiant anything other than professional. It was not New Radiant's mistake Asfhfaag snubbed Singapore's Armed Forces offer, or of Malaysia's Perlis, or of India's Mahindra United's!!

It reeks of child's play Ashfaag to say he would return home if his employers are to seek a transfer fee from his new club. He should have known better that, players like him are once in a life time gems by Maldivian standards. The offer for a trial with Portugal's Benfica is like a scholarship for higher studies abroad. The biggest mistake of his career is his refusal to avail of the golden opportunity.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Send your comments about this article Name: Email: Powered by thesitewizard.com