Lalitpur, June 20

The All Nepal Football Association and Ruslan Three Star Club today reached a deal ending the months of speculation regarding the compensation sought by the ‘A’ division outfit and their return to football activities.

Highly-placed source at the ANFA said the two parties agreed on the compensation amount of Rs 150 million at a meeting today and a formal decision would be announced shortly. “The ANFA offered Rs 150 million and the club officials were satisfied with that,” the source said. ANFA CEO Indra Man Tuladhar confirmed that the two parties were close to the agreement and said the amount was between Rs 10 million to Rs 20m.

Three Star had demanded a compensation of Rs 60 million from the football governing body after the ANFA failed to register the club in the second round of the AFC Cup 2017. The club has not participated in the football tournaments in and outside the valley including the Lalit Memorial U-19 Championship organised in memory of their president Lalit Krishna Shrestha.

Three Star had qualified for the second round of the AFC Cup after finishing as the group winners in Mongolia in August last year. But the Asian Football Confederation included Mongolian Erchim FC, who were runners-up in the qualifiers, in the second round draw after ANFA did not respond to four requests sent by the Asian body.

ANFA CEO Tuladhar said that ANFA and Three Star Club officials reached an agreement to settle down the issues but the amount was yet to be decided. “We will consult with our legal advisor and finalise the details after having a meeting with National Sports Council,” said Tuladhar. “However, both the parties agreed to settle down the issue,” he added. Tuladhar also informed that Three Star agreed to take part in football activities. “After the meeting Three Star Club has agreed to return to football,” Tuladhar added.

Acting President of Three Star Arun Man Joshi confirmed the agreement and said the amount would be disclosed only after completing legal procedures. “As the league is in the door step, both the parties wanted to have a ‘safe landing’ at the earliest. Apart from the compensation, the ANFA has also assured us of two to three international matches,” he added.