Explained: What FIFA suspension means for AIFF and Indian football | Football News
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Should the ban continue, India cannot host the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup which is scheduled to commence on October 11 later this year. Luckily for India, FIFA has not yet announced an alternative host, providing the country with some hope.
Indian teams, both representing clubs and country, are not allowed to take part in any international competition. Gokulam Kerala FC are currently in Tashkent for the AFC Women’s Club Championship and have been told they cannot take part. Kerala Blasters are having their pre-season in UAE and have lined-up friendlies, first of which is on August 20.
Neither AIFF nor any of its members or officials can benefit from any development programmes, courses or training from FIFA and/or the AFC.
There will be no development grants from FIFA to India.
Domestic leagues and competitions can continue but no new foreign players can be registered since the system is frozen, till the ban is lifted.
HOW CAN INDIA GET BACK TO NORMALCY?
FIFA’s first condition for normalcy is repeal of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) mandate in full. The CoA was appointed by the Supreme Court on May 18, 2022 to finalise the constitution and hold elections.
The AIFF administration has to be fully in charge of the AIFF’s daily affairs.
The AIFF constitution needs to be revised in accordance with the requirements of FIFA-AFC and approved by the AIFF general assembly without interference from any third party which includes Supreme Court, CoA and government.
Concurrently, an independent electoral committee needs to be elected by the AIFF general assembly to run the elections of a new executive committee.
FIFA has asked AIFF to hold elections based on the pre-existing membership structure of AIFF which means only state associations can vote, and not eminent players as suggested by the Supreme Court.
WHY IS INDIAN FOOTBALL IN SUCH A MESS?
Elections to the AIFF were due in December 2022, but the Praful Patel-led committee dragged its feet, citing a pending case in the Supreme Court. It was only on December 12, almost 18 months later, that the apex court agreed to look into the illegal continuation of Patel as president.
On May 18, 2022, the Supreme Court removed AIFF president Praful Patel and his executive committee, whose tenure ended in December 2022. The apex court appointed a three-member CoA to finalise the constitution and hold elections.
FIFA does not allow third-party interference, but instead of an immediate ban FIFA-AFC sent a high-profile joint team to India for talks with all stakeholders from June 21 to June 23. Roadmaps were agreed, timelines set. The first was to finalise the Constitution by July 31 and approve it by the first week of August. The deadline to hold elections and have a new democratically elected executive committee of AIFF was September 15.
The July 31 deadline was missed by CoA. On August 3, the Supreme Court ordered elections, without the draft constitution being finalised. The apex court also provided voting rights to 36 former players, a clear violation of FIFA Statutes.
On August 5, FIFA asked some tough questions to AIFF and made its displeasure known that there were “deviations in agreed roadmap.”
In reply to FIFA, CoA said “perhaps the correct position has not been placed before you by whoever gave you the information regarding the hearing.”
WHY IS FIFA ANGRY?
FIFA is not against inclusion of individual players in the executive committee as co-opted members but said giving voting rights to 36 players undermines state associations who also have a vote each. Individual members are against FIFA Statutes.
Other objection from FIFA includes a clause in the draft constitution that officials cannot hold simultaneous posts in AIFF and state associations. FIFA said such a clause would make it difficult for the members to get re-elected again at the respective Member Associations in the event that they cannot serve their full term in the executive committee of AIFF for any reason.
FIFA also said a provision stipulating that the term limits have no retroactive effect was missing in Article 26 of the draft constitution.
WHO TOOK THE DECISION TO BAN INDIA?
The decision to ban AIFF was unanimous from the Bureau, a seven-member panel within the larger FIFA Council that has 37 members, including former AIFF president Praful Patel. The Bureau of the Council consists of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and six continental heads from Asia, Africa, North and Central America, South America, Oceania and Europe.
WHAT DOES THE ORDER STATE?
“The Bureau considered that the aforementioned circumstances constituted undue interference by a third party in accordance with art. 14 pars 1 i) and 3 of the FIFA Statutes, and in accordance with art. 16 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes. Therefore, the Bureau decided on 14 August 2022 to suspend the AIFF with immediate effect due to flagrant violations of the FIFA Statutes.”
HOW DID COA REACT?
The CoA said it was “surprised that the FIFA decision has come when extensive discussions were going on for the past few days between all stakeholders, including FIFA-AFC, AIFF, CoA, and the Sports Ministry as per the order of the Supreme Court.”
WHO COMPRISES COA?
Justice (retired) Anil Dave
Former Chief Election Commissioner of India SY Quraishi
Former India captain Bhaskar Ganguly
IS THERE HOPE?
A solution can be found as early as today when the Supreme Court hears a review petition filed by the Centre. On Tuesday, Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehtasubmitted before a bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna that “some development” regarding AIFF has taken place. The case has been listed as first item for Wednesday.
Indian teams, both representing clubs and country, are not allowed to take part in any international competition. Gokulam Kerala FC are currently in Tashkent for the AFC Women’s Club Championship and have been told they cannot take part. Kerala Blasters are having their pre-season in UAE and have lined-up friendlies, first of which is on August 20.
Neither AIFF nor any of its members or officials can benefit from any development programmes, courses or training from FIFA and/or the AFC.
There will be no development grants from FIFA to India.
Domestic leagues and competitions can continue but no new foreign players can be registered since the system is frozen, till the ban is lifted.
HOW CAN INDIA GET BACK TO NORMALCY?
FIFA’s first condition for normalcy is repeal of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) mandate in full. The CoA was appointed by the Supreme Court on May 18, 2022 to finalise the constitution and hold elections.
The AIFF administration has to be fully in charge of the AIFF’s daily affairs.
The AIFF constitution needs to be revised in accordance with the requirements of FIFA-AFC and approved by the AIFF general assembly without interference from any third party which includes Supreme Court, CoA and government.
Concurrently, an independent electoral committee needs to be elected by the AIFF general assembly to run the elections of a new executive committee.
FIFA has asked AIFF to hold elections based on the pre-existing membership structure of AIFF which means only state associations can vote, and not eminent players as suggested by the Supreme Court.
WHY IS INDIAN FOOTBALL IN SUCH A MESS?
Elections to the AIFF were due in December 2022, but the Praful Patel-led committee dragged its feet, citing a pending case in the Supreme Court. It was only on December 12, almost 18 months later, that the apex court agreed to look into the illegal continuation of Patel as president.
On May 18, 2022, the Supreme Court removed AIFF president Praful Patel and his executive committee, whose tenure ended in December 2022. The apex court appointed a three-member CoA to finalise the constitution and hold elections.
FIFA does not allow third-party interference, but instead of an immediate ban FIFA-AFC sent a high-profile joint team to India for talks with all stakeholders from June 21 to June 23. Roadmaps were agreed, timelines set. The first was to finalise the Constitution by July 31 and approve it by the first week of August. The deadline to hold elections and have a new democratically elected executive committee of AIFF was September 15.
The July 31 deadline was missed by CoA. On August 3, the Supreme Court ordered elections, without the draft constitution being finalised. The apex court also provided voting rights to 36 former players, a clear violation of FIFA Statutes.
On August 5, FIFA asked some tough questions to AIFF and made its displeasure known that there were “deviations in agreed roadmap.”
In reply to FIFA, CoA said “perhaps the correct position has not been placed before you by whoever gave you the information regarding the hearing.”
WHY IS FIFA ANGRY?
FIFA is not against inclusion of individual players in the executive committee as co-opted members but said giving voting rights to 36 players undermines state associations who also have a vote each. Individual members are against FIFA Statutes.
Other objection from FIFA includes a clause in the draft constitution that officials cannot hold simultaneous posts in AIFF and state associations. FIFA said such a clause would make it difficult for the members to get re-elected again at the respective Member Associations in the event that they cannot serve their full term in the executive committee of AIFF for any reason.
FIFA also said a provision stipulating that the term limits have no retroactive effect was missing in Article 26 of the draft constitution.
WHO TOOK THE DECISION TO BAN INDIA?
The decision to ban AIFF was unanimous from the Bureau, a seven-member panel within the larger FIFA Council that has 37 members, including former AIFF president Praful Patel. The Bureau of the Council consists of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and six continental heads from Asia, Africa, North and Central America, South America, Oceania and Europe.
WHAT DOES THE ORDER STATE?
“The Bureau considered that the aforementioned circumstances constituted undue interference by a third party in accordance with art. 14 pars 1 i) and 3 of the FIFA Statutes, and in accordance with art. 16 par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes. Therefore, the Bureau decided on 14 August 2022 to suspend the AIFF with immediate effect due to flagrant violations of the FIFA Statutes.”
HOW DID COA REACT?
The CoA said it was “surprised that the FIFA decision has come when extensive discussions were going on for the past few days between all stakeholders, including FIFA-AFC, AIFF, CoA, and the Sports Ministry as per the order of the Supreme Court.”
WHO COMPRISES COA?
Justice (retired) Anil Dave
Former Chief Election Commissioner of India SY Quraishi
Former India captain Bhaskar Ganguly
IS THERE HOPE?
A solution can be found as early as today when the Supreme Court hears a review petition filed by the Centre. On Tuesday, Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehtasubmitted before a bench comprising Justices DY Chandrachud and AS Bopanna that “some development” regarding AIFF has taken place. The case has been listed as first item for Wednesday.
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