Tuesday (August 16) will go down as the ‘Black Day’ in the Indian football folklore after the All India Football Federation (AIFF)’s embarrassing crisis finally turned into a nightmare with decisive action from FIFA. The interference of the Supreme Court of India proved costly for the Indian football board as the apex world governing body FIFA decided to ban AIFF with immediate effect due to ‘undue influence from third parties’.
FIFA has always maintained a strict stance against any third-party interference in the running of a national football federation and it had issued a prior warning to the AIFF before putting the final nail in the coffin on Tuesday. However, the Supreme Court-appointed committee of administrators (CoA) probably underestimated the gravity of the situation leading to the ban.
The threat of a potential ban from FIFA was looming ever since the ouster of former AIFF president Praful Patel, who was removed after he held the office despite completing his term. SC appointed a CoA to run the day-to-day affairs at the board which was a violation of FIFA’s statutes.
The ban can prove to be catastrophic for Indian football and the ripple effects can be felt in the long term as well. It can cause way more damage than anticipated as India stands at not only losing the hosting rights of the upcoming FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup but also all clubs from the country will be barred from participating in any AFC or FIFA-governed competitions.
Also Read: ‘Harsh decision’: Former Indian football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia reacts to FIFA’s ban on AIFF
What FIFA’s ban on AIFF means for Indian football?
The ban from FIFA means all Indian football teams across age groups won’t be able to take part in any tournament at the international level. The Indian men’s team was set to play two friendlies against Vietnam (September 24) and Singapore (September 27) later this year but the matches stand cancelled unless the ban is revoked.
India has also lost the hosting rights of the upcoming FIFA Women’s U-17 World Cup 2022. After successfully delivering the men’s U-17 World Cup in 2017, the country was expected to stage another spectacle this year. However, with just two months left for the tournament, the ban has cost India the hosting rights.
Also Read: FIFA suspends AIFF with immediate effect: All you need to know about the ban and how it can be lifted
None of the Indian cubs will now be allowed to take part in any FIFA or AFC-related tournaments. Indian club Gokulam Kerala women are scheduled to play their AFC Women’s Club Championship opener against Sogdiana-W in Qarshi in Uzbekistan. However, the match stands suspended if AIFF’s ban is not revoked at the earliest.
ATK Mohun Bagan are also likely to face a huge setback as they were scheduled to play the AFC Cup Inter-Zonal semi-finals on September 7. However, now they won’t be able to take part in the competition due to the ban from FIFA. India can continue conducting its domestic leagues ISL and I-League without any issues but they won’t be recognised by AFC or FIFA.
“AIFF representatives and club teams are therefore no longer entitled to take part in the international competition until the suspension is lifted.This also means that neither the AIFF nor any of its members or officials may benefit from any development programmes, courses or training from FIFA and/or the AFC,” FIFA said in its letter to AIFF.
The ban will also see AIFF lose on the financial front as the Indian football body will no more be eligible to receive any grants from FIFA. The world body reportedly issues a grant of around USD 50,000 annually for AIFF which will be revoked if the ban stays for long.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
