Durand Cup to start soon, but what are Hyderabad FC up to?
In what is looking like a repeat of last season's outing for the city-based club, Hyderabad FC seem to be in no state whatsoever to put their best foot forward in the Durand Cup, slated to start on Saturday, July 27.
Although the Nawabs play their first game of the tournament against FC Goa in Shillong on Monday, August 5, Sportskeeda has learnt that they have not yet begun preparations for the tournament, or even the upcoming season at large.
It is understood that the players have not yet been informed about when the preseason training will start. There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the status of the existing owners of the club, and also the proposed new investors.
If the club continues to grapple with such uncertainty, it is hard to see how they will compete in the prestigious Durand Cup with their best combinations - or if they do so at all.
What is particularly tough for Hyderabad is that they face numerous transfer bans from FIFA at the moment, with the world governing body penalising them for not having paid their former players.
Last season, Hyderabad had faced similar issues regarding the registration of their new signings. They had to play in the Durand Cup with virtually a second-eleven side, with Chinglensana Singh and Mohammad Yasir being among the few stars present.
All hope may not be lost for Hyderabad FC
However, what will give the fans of the Yellow and Blacks some cheer is that several reports indicate the onboarding of a new investor soon, perhaps even before the Indian Super League gets underway later this year.
If this does happen, Hyderabad will not have to face the ignominy of being slapped with even more transfer bans. The new investors would be expected to clear the dues the club owes to its former players.
Sportskeeda has also learnt that the existing first-team players of the club may not be willing to participate in the Durand Cup if they do not get paid. This is an issue that the management would have to look into and solve immediately.
Hyderabad have not been able to make any new signings in the summer window owing to the transfer bans imposed upon them. They are perhaps the only club across the country to not have begun their pre-season training yet.
This puts the contracted players of the club in a precarious position, and the management - observing perhaps the longest vow of silence one has seen in Indian football - would have to take a public stance and make offerings of peace.