Clubs need to take licensing seriously: AIFF
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) expressed its unhappiness with the way the I League clubs have mishandled the licensing criteria. ‘In this criteria most clubs have failed. They need to take it seriously,’ AIFF secretary general Kushal Das said in the Indian Football Forum at the Indian Habitat centre on Tuesday.
Most clubs in India do not have their own football stadiums and the ones in which they play in are owned by state associations.
Citing that this requirement of owning a stadium is difficult for clubs due to lack of funds, Das said they should fulfill the other features of the licensing to its fullest. Das warned the current I League clubs of getting disallowed if they fail to complete the criteria in the next season. ‘Some of the licensing criteria is difficult to implement like having a stadium for each club. But certain things like youth development, proper administration are non negotiable. If clubs fail on that, from next year, the license will not be granted.’
Das also said that clubs end up paying a lot in player’s salaries and end up failing out on proper infrastructures. ‘Most clubs budget are spent on players’ salary, that is unacceptable. Because of so much money spent on buying players, virtually, there is no money left for infrastructure development,’ he said.
The absence of clubs in big cities like Delhi and Chennai has hindered the growth of football in these parts as there is a lack of national feeling with selected venues being a part of the I League. Das pointed out that local leagues are absent in these cities which is a reason for no venues in these places.
‘Most I League clubs are from Kolkata and Goa. Even North east places are growing in this sector because they have local leagues which are strong. The concept of local league are very important for bigger clubs to function and this has been missing in north and south India.’
Even I League chief executive Sunando Dhar supported AIFF’s licensing criteria programme. ‘This (licensing criteria) is good for them only as it is commerciallly viable. We give clubs five-year time frame to own stadiums orelse rebuild an existing stadium.’
