Fransa-Pax FC
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Full name | Fransa-Pax Football Club | |
---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Pax | |
Dissolved | 2006 | |
Ground | Fatorda Stadium, Margao | |
Capacity | 27,300 | |
Owner | Mickky Pacheco | |
League | Goa Professional League | |
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Fransa-Pax Football Club (also known as Pax of Nagoa) was an Indian professional football club based in Nagoa, Goa. The club is best known for folding halfway through the 2005–06 Indian National Football League after their owner Mickky Pacheco accused the All India Football Federation of trying to relegate the club. They had also competed in the Goa Professional League.
History
Fransa Pax qualified for the 2004–05 Indian National Football League and finished in fifth place that season.[1]
2005–06: Final season
After finishing fifth in 2004–05, Fransa Pax were given the schedule for the 2005–06 Indian National Football League in which 7 of their final 8 games were away from home. The ownership group took this as a sign the All India Football Federation wanted them relegated. On 30 January 2006, Pax played a star-filled Mahindra United (who would also disband in 2008) who were then in first place and reigning Federation Cup champions. Mahindra won the match 2–1. After the match, Fransa coach Norbert Fernandes, along with goalkeeper Virender Singh and Ivan D’Silva, manhandled the referee, Vikramjit Purakayastha after he awarded Mahindra with two suspicious[citation needed] penalties which were both converted to help them win. Fransa owner Mickky Pacheco ran after the match commissioner Enayetullah around the Fatorda Stadium. Also, around 2000 Fransa fans vandalized the Fatorda Stadium.
After the game, Pacheco threatened to fold his team if justice was not served for the match against Mahindra United even though under FIFA rule you can't change the result after the game is completed. On 3 February 2006 when Pax was to play Air India FC the players for Pax did not take to the field. Reason being that Pacheco said that if no justice is taken he would not field a team. Due to pressure from Zee Sports, the AIFF canceled three games of Pax.[2]
On 7 February 2006, the AIFF met to discuss the future of the league and club. They decided to reject Pacheco's claim and asked if he would let his team play. At first, he said no but on 8 February 2006, he said yes. The AIFF then rejected all demands that the club had and that the players would be punished for the Mahindra United game incident. The AIFF then asked for a letter of apology to which Fransa said no and said they wanted a replay against Air India. The AIFF agreed and set the replay date. Air India then went against this and by FIFA rules was awarded the 3 points. On 23 March 2006, Pax was dissolved as a football club.[3]
Honours
Notable player(s)
- Louis Aniweta (2004–2006)[7]
See also
References
- ^ Somnath Sengupta (19 March 2012). "Indian Football Rewind: Fransa Pax – How Mickky Pacheco's Ego Destroyed A Football Club". Thehardtackle.com. The Hard Tackle. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
- ^ PTI (5 February 2006). "Football: AIFF cancels two Fransa Pax matches". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ "Fransa to be disbanded: Pacheco". Rediff. 23 March 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
- ^ Arunava Choudhary. "National Football League Second Division". indianfootball.de. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ "From the History Book". All India Football Federation. the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- ^ Arunava Chaudhuri. "2003/04 Season in Indian Football:". indianfootball.de. Indian Football Network. Archived from the original on 17 January 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "NFT player — National team & Club appearances: Aniweta Ifeanychukwu, Louis". National Football Teams. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
Further reading
- "Rowllin Borges: Rowllin Borges raises the bar higher for 2017 | Goa News". timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Panaji: The Times of India. TNN. 12 January 2017. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 2021-03-29.