Fransa-Pax FC

Not to be confused with Pax of Nagoa SC.

Fransa-Pax

Full name	Fransa-Pax Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Pax
Founded	2002
Dissolved	2006
Ground	Fatorda Stadium
Owner	Mickky Pacheco

Fransa-Pax Football Club 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 its then owner Mickky Pacheco accused the All India Football Federation of trying to relegate the club. The club 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 was 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 two suspicious penalties. Fransa owner Mickky Pacheco ran after the match commissioner Enayetullah at the Fatorda Stadium.^[2] Also, around 2,000 Fransa fans vandalized the stadium.

After the game, Pacheco threatened to fold his team if justice was not served.^[3] On 3 February 2006, when Pax was to play Air India FC, the players did not take to the field. Due to pressure from Zee Sports, the AIFF canceled three games of Pax.^[4]

On 7 February 2006, the AIFF met to discuss the future of the club. They decided to reject Pacheco's claim.^[5][6] The AIFF agreed and set the replay date. Air India then went against this and, by FIFA rules, was awarded the 3 points.^[7] On 23 March 2006, Pax was dissolved as a football club.^[8][9][10]

Honours

• National Football League II^[11]
  • Runners-up: 2003–04^[12][13]

Notable player(s)

• Louis Aniweta (2004–2006)^[14]

See also

• Goans in football
• List of football clubs in India

References

1. 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.
2. "Fransa chief declared persona non grata". www.rediff.com. Rediff India. 23 February 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
3. "Fransa told to fall in line". www.rediff.com. Rediff India. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
4. PTI (5 February 2006). "Football: AIFF cancels two Fransa Pax matches". The Times of India. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
5. "Fransa replay demand turned down". www.rediff.com. Rediff India. 9 February 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
6. "Fransa Pax's fate in Das Munshi's hands". www.telegraphindia.com. The Telegraph India. 16 February 2006. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
7. "Fransa's matches canceled". www.rediff.com. Rediff India. 5 February 2006. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
8. "Fransa to be disbanded: Pacheco". Rediff. 23 March 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
9. JAYDEEP BASU (23 March 2006). "Fransa chief decides to disband club - Pacheco calls AIFF a 'big joke' and a 'body of flips and flops'". www.telegraphindia.com. The Telegraph India. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
10. IFN Media (13 June 2021). "Indian Football Club: Dissolved Clubs in Indian Football (2023)". www.indianfootballnews.in. Indian Football News. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
11. Arunava Choudhary. "National Football League Second Division". indianfootball.de. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
12. "From the History Book". All India Football Federation. the-aiff.com. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
13. 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.
14. 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.