On the night of 15th August FIFA – the global governing body of football, suspended the All India Football Federation (AIFF) citing ‘third party interventions’ in India’s football governance.  

The above development may have resulted in a bit of anxiety for parents of young footballers. Hence, in today’s edition, we analyze the situation and explore its implications on youth football in India.

MYAS, AIFF, and SC in tandem to resolve matters

At the moment, the ban implies the following: 

• Indian national teams (men and women) will not be allowed to participate in international competitions and friendlies, irrespective of whether it is the senior team or the age-group teams.

• No new international transfers will be allowed by clubs playing in the Indian domestic leagues, and the clubs will not be allowed to participate in any international competitions. 

• FIFA will stop providing grants to AIFF, which was close to 3 million USD in the last three years. 

• India would lose the hosting rights of the prestigious FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup slated to start in October 2022. 

However, matters seem to be falling in place quickly. Since last week, the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, the AIFF, and the Supreme Court have put in a lot of work to resolve matters. 

In the latest court hearing yesterday, the SC has passed the following resolutions to adhere to FIFA’s statutes and revoke the suspension: 

• Repealing the CoA mandate and giving the AIFF administration full charge of the daily affairs.

• The AIFF constitution will be revised following the rules of FIFA and AFC.

• An independent electoral committee to be elected to run the elections of the new executive committee. 

• The AIFF will carry out the electoral process following the statutory requirements of FIFA. They will hold the election with a 23-member board (17 elected Presidents, Vice Presidents, and Treasurer – who shall be elected by the 36 member associations and UTs). The board will also comprise six eminent players. 

The suspension does not affect domestic and youth competitions

Irrespective of the suspension, the Indian domestic football leagues should largely remain undisturbed. Our partner club, Garhwal Heroes Football Club (GHFC), continues playing in the Delhi Senior Division League and national competitions. 

The Durand Cup, Asia’s oldest football competition, started last week and is conducted across three venues. The tournament comprises sixteen teams from the Indian Super League (ISL), I-League, and the armed forces. 

At the age-group level too, competitions will continue at the district, state, and national levels. 

Last Thursday, 18th of August, our U-14 boys at BBFS Residential Academy, Nashik, won the Subroto Cup zonal round and are gearing up to feature in the nationals. 

The only foreseeable problem for the younger groups is not being able to participate in international competitions recognized by FIFA. But that shall hopefully be resolved as well, following the Supreme Court order yesterday.

“It’s a harsh decision to suspend Indian football. But it is also a great opportunity to get our system right. It is imperative that all our stakeholders come together and work for the betterment of Indian football,” said Bhaichung Bhutia, the Co-Founder of Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools. 

It is a golden opportunity and a boon for Indian football to become more organized. When eligible candidates with the right intent and skills are appointed, Indian football will grow at a faster pace than ever before.

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#49 Leaving IT to pursue Football Coaching

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#47 Garhwal Heroes FC launches India’s first and only college football program