End of the road for Pune City?

PANAJI: There were several questions swirling around about the survival of FC Pune City. Their financial worries have been out in the open, and now their woes have been compounded with the player status committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) handing them a transfer ban for two registration periods on Tuesday.
Pune City have been "held liable for inducing breach of the contract" that midfielder Nestor Jesus Gordillo had with Chennai City FC.

Nestor was contracted with the I-League champions till May 30, 2020, but the club complained to the AIFF a few months ago, that the Spanish midfielder had signed an agreement with Pune City on May 2.
Pune will now not be allowed to sign any players for the next two transfer windows - starting January 1-31, 2020 and the first registration period of the next season (July-August 2020).
Significantly, they can sign players for this season till August 31, crucial for a side that has only two foreign players - Marcelinho and Marko Stankovic - contracted with them at the moment.
"We are still in a shock over this order. Our lawyers are studying the order, but we will definitely appeal," said Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwel. The club has three days to lodge an appeal with the appeals committee of the AIFF and reasons for appeal must be given within the time frame of seven days.
The committee in its order also banned Nestor for four months "from playing in any official matches organised by or under the aegis of AIFF." He must also pay a one-time compensation amounting to three months of the player's salary ($16,500) to Chennai City along with a fine of Rs 50,000 to AIFF.
The AIFF verdict puts a huge question mark over the future of Pune City and their continuance in the Indian Super League (ISL). Sources, however, said there may be a way out.
"It is no secret that Pune are talking to a new group who could buy only the participation rights (for the ISL) and not the entire club. In that case, the new club will not be impacted by the ban since they will be a new entity. Pune could either fold up or continue with only an academy (and serve the ban)," said one official who is tracking the development.
According to the committee, Pune "tried to misguide by providing wrong information in their reply dated June 10, 2019 stating, 'we categorically deny and refute any allegations or insinuations with regard to FC Pune City negotiating, agreeing and signing a contract with the said player'."
Chennai had submitted a photostat copy of the contract which was alleged to be signed by Nestor and Pune along with a forensic report of the contract prepared by Document Expert of the Forensic Sciences Department of Chennai confirming that the signature in the contract alleged to be signed by Nestor and Pune matches with the player's actual signature from his passport and the contract signed by Nestor and Chennai City FC.