FIFA Threatens to Ban Indian Football if AIFF Misses Deadline!
FIFA warns AIFF of suspension by Oct 30 over constitution delays.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) received a stern ultimatum from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), demanding ratification of its revised constitution by October 30 or face suspension from international football. In a letter to AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, signed by FIFA’s Elkhan Mammadov and AFC’s Vahid Kardany, the bodies expressed “profound concern” over the AIFF’s failure to finalize its governance framework, a process stalled in the Supreme Court since 2017. A suspension would bar India’s national teams and clubs from international tournaments and jeopardize the 2036 Olympic bid.
The letter outlined three critical steps: securing Supreme Court approval for the revised constitution, aligning it with FIFA and AFC statutes, and ratifying it at the next AIFF General Body meeting. Failure to comply could lead to sanctions, as seen in 2022 when FIFA briefly suspended India for third-party interference by a court-appointed Committee of Administrators. The current crisis has caused financial instability, with reports from FIFPRO noting unilateral terminations of players’ contracts in the Indian Super League (ISL), threatening livelihoods.
The Supreme Court is set to address the issue on August 28, alongside disputes over the expired Master Rights Agreement with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which has halted the ISL season, prompting clubs to warn of an “existential crisis.” Chaubey vowed to negotiate interim measures with FSDL to salvage the season, as Indian football teeters on the edge of a governance meltdown.
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