Football players, coaches and fans were left dismayed over the suspension order issued by FIFA against India on Tuesday.
When the news broke early morning, it took many fans by surprise although FIFA had issued a warning earlier. The international football body (FIFA) took action against India because of what it termed “undue influence from third parties.”
The first person to express his consternation was Hyderabad’s ace footballer Victor Amalraj. Hyderabad has produced six captains of India and he is one of them. “When I read this morning that FIFA had decided to suspend India, I was shocked. It is a tragic day for India and the future of all the players will be affected. I appeal to all people to sink their differences and work together for the welfare of the country. Just a few days ago we saw our athletes giving a great performance at the Commonwealth Games. Let us keep the good work going. I beg the football officials, the government and the Supreme Court to sort out the matter as soon as possible and keep our tricolour flying high in the international arena,” said Amalraj.
The background to this stern action lies in the fact that the Supreme Court of India disbanded the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in May 2022 due to election irregularities. The court had then appointed a three-member committee to govern the sport, amend the AIFF constitution and conduct the long-delayed elections.
But such a move goes against the stipulations of FIFA. The international body issued a warning and then decided to suspend India for an indefinite period. The ban will be lifted once the court-appointed officials are removed and the reins are handed back to the elected body of the AIFF, stated FIFA.
Shabbir Ali who has captained India and also coached the Indian team has a different take: “I do not blame FIFA for taking this action. But in every case, there are two sides to the issue. If a body is not holding elections when elections are due, should not FIFA issue a warning immediately? FIFA delayed its decision till the court-appointed officials took over. A timely warning from FIFA may have brought about timely elections and this ban may have been avoided,” said Shabbir Ali.
“The same thing happened to Nigeria if I remember correctly. Their ban was lifted after a new body was formed through fresh elections. Now the AIFF will face a fund crunch because FIFA will stop all its funds. How will they manage? And to top, all the Gokulam club women’s team has gone abroad to play in a tournament. What will be their fate? Will they be suddenly stopped in the middle of a tournament? Who will refund their expenses? I feel very sorry when I think about the plight of the players,” said Shabbir Ali.
The worst affected people are the players whose careers will be put on hold for no fault of theirs. Those players who are nearing the end of their careers will be the hardest hit since the ban may not be lifted soon.
One such player is India’s iconic captain Sunil Chhetri who has scored 84 international goals and is only two goals behind the legendary Lionel Messi (86). Just yesterday he had expressed his hope for a positive outcome to the dispute between FIFA and India. “A ban will be catastrophic. Not just for the whole country but especially for me. I am 37 years old and I am playing my last few matches. I don’t know which game will be my last,” said Chhetri. But his worst fears came true today and left him devastated.
The common fans who love the game passionately also will be affected since there will be no football activity except maybe unrecognised tournaments.
But the question is, why matters have come to such a situation that India was disgraced. The trouble began because of the irregularities within the Indian football federation. The elections to that body have not been held although the deadline passed 18 months ago. The AIFF President, Praful Patel of the NCP, continued to occupy his chair beyond the period of his term in office. The aggrieved parties, with the support of the government, went to court following which the order was passed to disband the officials of the AIFF.
Now what remains to be seen is when the fresh elections will be held. There will be a sense of urgency because the AIFF badly needs FIFA funding for its schemes. According to informed sources, one of the persons who is in a strong position to become the next President of AIFF is Ajit Banerjee, elder brother of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Whichever way it goes, the AIFF elections will be the most awaited event in Indian football for the next few weeks.
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