FIFA-AFC to dispatch four-member committee to India to look into potential rule violations

A FIFA and AFC joint four-member committee is set to visit India on June 11 to discuss the matter of the All-India Football Federation (AIFF) being run a Supreme Court of India-appointed Committee of Adminrators (CoA). This was confirmed CoA member Dr. S Y Quraishi who said that the CoA would be meeting on June 8, ahead of the FIFA visit, at the AIFF Football House to discuss the drafting of the constitution.
“We were planning on working closely with FIFA and AFC because we need their help and support. We would like to dispel any misconceptions that they may have or some people may have deliberately created in their minds. But before we could send them an invitation, we got information that they themselves are coming on June 11,” said Quraishi to reporters at a media briefing.
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The FIFA and AFC committee’s visit is crucial as information gleaned from this period will then be used to decide whether third-party interference has taken place in the running of a FIFA member association the state. In the past, both the Kuwait and Indonesia Football Associations were handed international bans the FIFA Council because of interference.Best of Express PremiumPremiumPremiumPremiumPremium
If the FIFA Council found the formation of the CoA and their management of the AIFF as interference, the ban could mean India would lose the hosting rights to the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, to be held in October, among a host of other potential actions.
Quraishi also allotted a timeline of four to five months, to the entire process of drafting and ratifying the All-India Football Federation constitution as well as holding elections, to elect a new executive committee. He stated that the election process would take a further 6-8 weeks.
“Now that the SC has asked the draft constitution to be made public, we are also looking for suggestions and feedback on the same. Taking these into consideration, we expect to submit a modified version of the Constitution July 15.”
“We will then immediately start the process of elections and finish it as soon as possible. After that our work will be over. We don’t want to stay longer,” said Quraishi.
He also spoke about Praful Patel’s initiative to speak to FIFA on behalf of the AIFF in a positive manner. “Mr Patel has written to the FIFA, explaining to them the perspective, to dispel any apprehensions. After that, if they have any doubts, those should disappear. Any remaining doubts should be covered if they met us physically, and that we are a group of well-meaning people. We expect full co-operation from FIFA and we will extend the same to them,” said Qureshi.
State associations to meet
While on one hand Quraishi was clear that all stakeholders will be consulted before the final constitution will be provided to be ratified the Supreme Court, there are some issues that could crop up with some sections of the draft.

Issues like the size of the executive committee, dual membership as well as the representation of stakeholders in the new constitution are all set to be discussed state members and then presented to the CoA as suggestions.
“Currently the composition of the executive committee conss of 19-20 members and the members are elected through zonal dribution. That composition has been narrowed down in the draft constitution to 8-9 including players. That is too low and doesn’t reflect the diversity of the country,” said the head of a state association to the Indian Express.
They also stated that the constitution’s emphasis on individual members rather than members elected from state associations could be an issue with FIFA. “The individual has to either represent a club, a drict association or a state association.”