New Delhi: Fransa Club on Monday did reply to All India Football Federation’s letter of ultimatum, but chose to put the ball in AIFF’s court with a cleverly worded letter. While they avoided the call for tendering an apology, they also made it a point to remind AIFF that the Fransa-Air India match should be replayed.

The letter, signed by club secretary George Fernandes, says that Fransa are “eager to return to the NFL, but would like to continue from the fifth round against Air India. ... If we do not get to play the fifth round encounter, we will be in a disadvantageous position. Our players will be disheartened and will not be able to give their best for the remainder of the NFL.”

The club chairman, Micky Pacheco, who was in the Capital, told The Telegraph, “we are not going to field the side unless they replay the Fransa-Air India match. We have not put it in writing, but that’s going to be our stand.”

Calling the AIFF president Priya Ranjan Das Munshi as the one who is ‘ruining’ the game in India, Pacheco said “What’s going on in the name of refereeing is simply disgusting.”

On the AIFF demand of tendering an apology, the Fransa letter said: “We would like to place on record that our manager Anthony Fernandes, coach Norbert Gonsalves and goalkeeper Virender Singh have already apologised before the disciplinary committee for whatever happened on the field.”

The AIFF secretary, Alberto Colaco said, “We have received a letter from Fransa. A decision, however, will be taken only on Wednesday.”