False start? Much-hyped Pakistan Football League remains in serious doubt

In June this year, details were announced about the launch of the franchised-based Pakistan Football League (PFL).

It was touted as a footballing equivalent of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), the cash rich professional T20 cricket league run by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

The proposed PFL is in fact, in theory, far more important for Pakistan football than the PSL is for Pakistan cricket.

It is seen by many as the answer to many of the woes and challenges facing Pakistan football.

Four months have passed since the grand launch which was attended by former England football stars Michael Owen and Emile Heskey but there are no signs of the league taking place.

It’s the proverbial million-dollar question: When will the PFL take place?

It was promised in June that the much-awaited event will be launched most probably in November this year. But that remains highly unlikely.

Why? Because there is near pin drop silence about the entire enterprise.

Back in June, there was a lot of excitement and it seemed that the long-delayed PFL will finally be launched.

Teams -- Zalmi FC, Lahore FC, Sialkot FC, Faisalabad Lions FC and Lyari Tigers FC – were announced with their owners also present at the launch event.

So what’s happening?

The organisers of the PFL remain optimistic about the league and claim that the delay is related to the issue of the playing facilities.

“PFL has been resolute and committed towards the commencement of the league. And for the same purpose the delay has been primarily due to the playing facilities assessment. For the same purpose a set of team officials of PFL have been working on the same project,” the event’s organisers told Nukta in a detailed written interaction through their media and communication wing.

“An announcement on the chosen playing conditions will be announced shortly. Besides playing conditions in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad PFL team is also reviewing the facilities outside the three major cities in its aim to improve football landscape of the country and to provide opportunities to players from all across Pakistan including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and other regions where football is the most loved sport.” PFL said.

“The PFL officials are in close coordination with all its franchise partners and value the overwhelming support it has received from the sitting government across all provinces.

“The announcement is just around the corner. We strive to prepare players lists and working towards improving the playing conditions on global standards to pave the way for our youngsters to live their dream of representing Pakistan on the international stage. This can only be done once the facilities offered at home are adequate to match the global playing requirements,” the PFL said.

“We are also in the process to finalize a new alliance and the announcement will be made in the course of next few weeks which will serve not only as a great news for the football enthusiasts but will also act as an answer to those questioning the status of the league,” they said.

Severe blows

There have been major blows to the PFL in recent times. Zabe Khan, a senior PFL official, announced in a statement on X, previously Twitter, that he has quit the league. Just a few days later, Redstrike UK, a company which brought football superstars to Pakistan for the PFL, announced that it had backed out of the event stating that it had not received scheduled payments from the PFL’s UK Holdings.

Zabe Khan has withdrawn from the Pakistan Football League and said that he has no affiliation with the league.Facebook/GlobalSoccerVentures

When Nukta asked the PFL about Redstrike UK’s pull-out it said that the PFL and Redstrike Group Limited entered into an agreement on March 20, 2024.

“As a result of which the Redstrike Group including their CEO Mike Farnan was repeatedly sent reminders from the PFL Chairman Farhan Junejo and PFL CEO Ahmer Kunwar to initiate the talks between the EPL clubs and PFL but the request was deferred every now and often.”

Asked whether PFL paid to Redstrike UK, PFL replied in the affirmative.

“Yes. Following the signing of agreement as on March 20, 2024, the first payment was made to Redstrike Group on May 4 while the second payment was processed following the PFL launch ceremony in Lahore in first week of June 2024. It is pertinent to note that while the third payment was done in July 2024 it was clearly stated to Redstrike Group that the agreed services are not being completed and hence a set of reminders was initiated on the part of the PFL to Redstrike Group despite of which a sum of five additional installments of payments were made to Redstrike Group,” PFL said.

Mike Farnan, CEO of Redstrike Group, on the Sport Stage during Day 1 of the 2015 Web Summit in the RDS, Dublin, Ireland in 2015.Facebook//WebSummitHQ

But Redstrike rejects this claim of PFL.

“The payments they mention are incorrect. Two payments were received on May 10 and June 21. No further payments were received,” RSG CEO Simon Bytheway told Nukta.

When Nukta asked PFL about RSG responsibilities they said that they also were responsible for initiating talks between PFL and English Premier League Clubs (EPL).

“Apart from the services completed for the launch event in Pakistan for PFL they were also responsible for initiating talks between PFL and EPL football clubs with an additional number of services mentioned within the enclosed signed agreement which till date remain incomplete. As a result of which an email was sent to Redstrike UK dated September 24, 2024, under the subject “Redstrike UK Limited Termination of Service Notification” and directed to Simon Bytheway, Jonathan Danan and Mike Fernan. The email was to announce the immediate terminations of RSG due to their inability to deliver on the agreed KPIs. And with eight installments of payments being well received by RSG, PFL now demands a refund of the payments against which the KPIs remain unfulfilled,” PFL explained.

But RSG countered PFL’s statement as false.

“The email PFL refers to on September 24 was sent after we had already terminated the agreement from our side,” Simon said.

Simon also shared with Nukta the letter RSG had written to PFL CEO Ahmer stating that Redstrike had already terminated its relationship with the PFL due to breach of contract on the part of PFL regarding non-payment of invoices.

According to sources, PFL have also not paid to the travel agents. But PFL says they have paid the money to them.

“The travel agents engaged for arranging air-tickets for the guests arriving from various countries into Pakistan for the PFL launch event were not only on contract basis but were also paid duly. Apart from a few tickets which were not used all other financials have been settled with the travel agents in the agreed course of time effective from June 2024,” the PFL claimed.

Meanwhile sources close to the league said that there is no chance of the league taking place this year.

“I don’t think PFL will be held this year. Those players who play under the ambit of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee will not be ready to be part of the league as they fear of action from the football governing body,” the source said.