Football Delhi seeks FIFA intervention in AIFF matters

football associations making themselves heard in order to find a solution to the issue of holding elections to the All India Football Federation Executive Committee, on Thursday, Football Delhi went a step further and passed a resolution at its own Executive Committee meeting appealing to the AIFF to contact FIFA and set up a Normalisation Committee in India, to run the daily affairs of the federation. This is the first time a state association, by way of this unanimous resolution by its Executive Council, has made a formal appeal to the AIFF to find a solution by actively suggesting the way forward.

“Delhi being the founder member of AIFF, makes a sincere appeal to the Executive Committee of AIFF to urgently contact FIFA administration to visit India for initiating the process to place a Normalisation Committee in India as the Executive Committee of Football Delhi considers it is an appropriate step in the best interests of Indian Football and AIFF,” Football Delhi’s letter to the AIFF said. Praful Patel has completed three four-year terms as president of the AIFF, and according to the sports code, is ineligible to contest a fourth term.

Elections, due in Nov-Dec 2020, were put on hold after his committee filed a stay citing a pending petition in court regarding amendment of the AIFF constitution. Pointing out that the growing criticism in this impasse was greatly affecting work at the state level, Football Delhi also made a request to the member state associations “to support AIFF in fast tracking the process of placing a Fifa-constituted Normalisation Committee to run the affairs of the AIFF till the elections of the new Executive Committee.

This situation is significantly impacting the game at every level. Moreover,