May 23 – Outgoing All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel has said he will liaise with FIFA to resolve the impasse at the top of the Indian FA and stage elections within the next two months.
Last week, India’s supreme court removed Patel from the presidency, appointing a committee (CoA) to finalise the ruling body’s constitution and manage everyday administration, but this weekend Patel (pictured) said that he will request FIFA, and notably both its president Gianni Infantino and secretary-general Fatma Samoura, to grant India two months to organise new elections and avoid a ban from the game.
“I will even call up president Infantino and also speak to Fatma Samoura and tell them please try to give India two months to hold elections and let us continue with the game,” Patel told Indian media.
“I will speak to FIFA and tell them that whatever happens if elections take place in two months please give a bit of leeway to India. Our sport will not suffer that way. This will be my personal pitch, how much it works, how much it doesn’t…”
A FIFA Council member, Patel has been AIFF president since 2008, but his third and final mandate came to an end in 2020, but he remained in power because the ruling body moved an application to the Supreme Court only a month before its elections were due, seeking clarification over its constitution.
Patel has always maintained that he is not to blame for the current situation. “How am I responsible for the delay in the election?” asked Patel. “Please tell me. I just read out from the court order. What can I do if the order came on May 22? I have seen far bigger things, don’t think that attending four meetings of FIFA council [is all I was looking forward to]. I am a Rajya Sabha member of Parliament and I will again file my nomination.”
The Committee of Administrators will run the AIFF’s day-to-day affairs and must stage fresh elections. The Supreme Court’s ruling however represents a direct violation of FIFA’s non-interference rule and a joint team from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will visit the country “understand the current situation”.
Later this year India will host the U-17 Women’s World Cup.
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