AIFF suspension: With FIFA demanding repeal of CoA, eyes on Supreme Court

All eyes, thus, are now on the Supreme Court bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud, which will hear the case on Wednesday. It was the Supreme Court that had appointed the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) to run the day-to-day affairs of the AIFF on May 18. The decision was taken due to a logjam in finalising the federation’s constitution and the inability to conduct elections.

In her letter, a copy of which is available with The Indian Express, Samoura said the Bureau of FIFA Council decided on ’14 August 2022 to suspend the AIFF with immediate effect due to flagrant violations of the FIFA Statutes’. The decision was made public late on August 15.

Samoura said FIFA had been following the developments within the AIFF since May 18, the day when the CoA was appointed. A joint delegation of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation subsequently travelled to India, where timelines were agreed to form the constitution and hold fresh elections. Samoura, however, said there had been ‘serious deviations’ from the roadmap.

“…it was confirmed that the AIFF had been ordered to hold elections (i) prior to the adoption of a new constitution, as the finalization of the latter would take more time; (ii) for an interim mandate of three months, until the new constitution was finalised; (iii) based on the national sports code…; and (iv) with the defined electoral college reshuffled in order to include players, in addition, the Bureau understood that the CoA would still play a role within the aforesaid interim mandate,” Samoura wrote in her letter.

This, the FIFA secretary-general said, ‘constituted undue interference by a third party’. “Furthermore, the Bureau decided that the lifting of the suspension be subject to the following conditions being satisfied: Repeal of the CoA mandate in full; the AIFF administration to be fully in charge of the AIFF’s daily affairs,” the letter noted.

Samoura said that upon lifting the suspension, the AIFF constitution will have to be ‘revised in accordance with the requirements of FIFA and AFC’ without ‘interference from any third party’. She added that the fresh elections will be held based on the ‘pre-existing membership structure of AIFF (i.e. state associations only).

This means that FIFA will not accept the decision taken by the CoA to include former India internationals in the voters’ list for the AIFF elections. In its draft constitution, the CoA had given players a 50 percent representation in AIFF’s executive committee as co-opted members, as against 25 percent recommended by FIFA. The move was opposed by state officials.

Door open for U-17 WC

The impact of a prolonged suspension could be profound on Indian football. Samoura, in the letter, added that the suspension means that the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, scheduled to be held from October 11-30, will ‘no longer be held as planned’.

However, in its media statement, FIFA kept the door open for the tournament to still be held in India and said they hoped for a ‘positive outcome’. “FIFA is assessing the next steps with regard to the tournament and will refer the matter to the Bureau of the Council if and when necessary,” the statement said. “FIFA is in constant constructive contact with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India and is hopeful that a positive outcome to the case may still be achieved.”

As things stand, however, Samoura added that the AIFF ‘loses all its membership rights as of 14 August 2022 until further notice.’ “AIFF representative and club teams are therefore no longer entitled to take part in international competitions 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,” Samoura explained.

The suspension also means Indian clubs will no longer be able to sign foreign players, apart from the ones that are already on their roster.

The girls are in Uzbekistan! 🤙🏾✨#Malabarians #GKFC pic.twitter.com/wW0MUnYO7p

— Gokulam Kerala FC (@GokulamKeralaFC) August 16, 2022

Gokulam Kerala barred from playing

The most immediate impact of the suspension was felt by Indian Women’s League champions Gokulam Kerala. The domestic heavyweights are currently in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and were set to travel to Qarshi, where they were scheduled to take part in the AFC Women’s Club Championship.

However, on Tuesday evening the club was told by the AFC that they are no longer eligible to take part in the competition. A letter stating the same was sent by the continental body to the AIFF as well.

The team is still in Tashkent and an official said they are likely to be given further directions by the AFC on Wednesday.

The competition gets underway on August 20 but Gokulam Kerala will begin their campaign on August 23 against the home team, Sogdiana.

FIFA, too, has written to all its member associations, reminding them not to enter any ‘sporting contact with AIFF’ and its teams while it is suspended. This means ISL teams, who had planned their pre-season friendly matches against foreign sides will no longer be able to do so.

Senior Indian football officials expressed hope that the suspension will not last long. But a lot will depend on the Supreme Court hearing on Wednesday.