The All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) technical committee,led by Baichung Bhutia,has decided to regulate the signing of foreign players from next season. It’s a move that will provide the local players much-needed space to showcase their talent.
Presently,the AIFF allows clubs to field four foreign players (one has to be an Asian) in their starting eleven. Taking the goalkeepers out of the picture,this means there are six Indian players per side on the field for I-league games. With 13 teams in the league,the national coach,at best,picks the India side from these 78 players. A small pool for a country of over a billion.
Another long-standing concern for the officials has been the quality of Indian players. There has been an increasing trend among the I-League teams to employ their foreign recruits on three most crucial positions – central defence,central midfield and forward. This means the national side doesn’t have tried,tested and experienced players at these key areas on the field.
Chief coach Wim Koevermans and technical director Rob Baan hope that by keeping a tab on the foreign recuritments there will be chance to groom skillful and reliable players. Bhutia,a club owner himself,understands the constraints they have to face with regards to foreign players. For long,Indian clubs have been paying exhorbitant sums for average players from abroad who haven’t added value to the team.
However,in the last two years the I-League clubs have shown willingness to look for players beyond Africa and lure players plying their trade in second or third division in Europe. Players like Darryl Duffy (Scotland/Salgaocar) and Trinidad World Cupper Glenn Cornell (Shillong Lajong) have added quality to the league. By setting yet-to-be-decided criteria for the recruitment of foreign players,Bhutia & Co hope that clubs will recruit more such players.
Whether these new rules concerning the foreign players help the AIFF achieve desired results is something that will be known a few years on. But it is indeed a step in the right direction.
Mihir is a senior correspondent based in Mumbai
mihir.vasavdal@expressindia.com
