Many things in FIFA-AFC report cannot be implemented now, says AIFF
AIFF general secretary Kushal Das has commented that many things in the tentative roadmap on the Indian football league structure are ‘not feasible’ to be implemented right away. This comes a day after the world body, FIFA, had written to the AIFF seeking an update on the situation.
The impasse involving the I-League and the Indian Super League (ISL) has plagued Indian football for at least two years now. The strife between the two leagues has called for an involvement from FIFA and AFC to resolve the matter and provide a way forward. However, the AIFF now say that many of the recommendations made by the two-member FIFA-AFC delegation are ‘not feasible.’
In its letter, a day prior to the comments, FIFA referred to the 2018 report, prepared by Nic Coward and Alex Phillips, saying it contained ‘a series of clear and concrete recommendations for your further consideration’.
“There are many things in the AFC-FIFA roadmap which cannot be implemented right now. That is why we have been trying to slowly implement it. After this report was sent by the AFC, we had pointed out to them that some of these recommendations are difficult to implement at this point of time,” Das was quoted saying by Hindustan Times.
Das cited several recommendations one-by-one to point out how they will at least two or three years to be implemented in Indian football. One such recommendation suggests a stadium as one of the long-term participation criteria.
“To say that the club should own their own stadium is not feasible for both I-League and ISL clubs. Therefore we have to tell FIFA that this recommendation is not practical,” Das said, referring to another point in the report.
The report, however, merely referred to stadium ownership/lease as an example of a medium-term requirement.
One of the first steps towards the implementation of the roadmap was the formation of a panel called ‘League Transition Commission’ within six weeks of its receipt. The panel was to comprise of ‘independent external members’ appointed by FIFA and AFC. However, 17 months on, there is no sign that such a panel may ever come into existence.
“The AIFF and the people who are in the ecosystem are far more qualified to find that solution rather than getting people from outside. While setting up a commission is one of the requirements, you have to see what is the best solution going forward and we are absolutely in the process of finding that solution,” Das added.
The report had recommended that ISL be the new top-tier from the 2019-20 season with the addition of two I-League clubs, and two more promoted over the next two campaigns. Das said that franchise fees would be the biggest stumbling block in implementing this.
The report had also called for the ‘review and resetting of the 2010 agreement’ between AIFF and its commercial partners — Reliance and Star Sports co-owned Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL). Das shoved these recommendations away by calling them ‘crazy.’
“That is again a crazy thing to say. What exactly do you mean by resetting? How will you renegotiate (the agreement)? Do you know the implications of that? Suppose they (FSDL) say, ‘we are not renegotiating, we are moving away’. Then what happens?” Das added.
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