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NDTV
7 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Bhaichung Bhutia Blasts Kalyan Chaubey For Turning AIFF Into 'Circus', Top Official Responds
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia on Friday made a scathing attack on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) leadership, calling the current administration under president Kalyan Chaubey a "circus" riddled with all-round mismanagement. Chaubey hit back through an official statement, dismissing the allegations as 'baseless' and accusing Bhutia of 'deliberately distorting the image of AIFF'. In a no-holds-barred press conference, Bhutia said Indian football has been experiencing one of the worst phases in recent history -- both in performance and credibility -- under the stewardship of Chaubey. 'The AIFF today is a circus. And when you put jokers in those positions, it's bound to become a circus,' Bhutia said, pointing to the federation's inability to resolve the I-League championship impasse between Inter Kashi and Churchill Brothers. The fate of the I-League title hinges on a Court of Arbitration for Sport's verdict on the appeal filed by Inter Kashi against a decision of the AIFF's Appeals Committee. 'They (AIFF) should have made a clear decision when the controversy erupted. Instead, they let the league continue in confusion. Clubs were treated unfairly. It's embarrassing for Indian football,' said Bhutia. Bhutia repeated his earlier criticism of Chaubey's decision to withdraw India's bid to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, leaving Saudi Arabia the sole candidate in the fray. "Why did we suddenly withdraw our 2027 AFC Asian Cup bid and agree to host the Santosh Trophy in Saudi Arabia instead? This has to be investigated by someone neutral,' said Bhutia, alleging "financial misuse" by the AIFF president. Chaubey has now expressed India's interest in bidding for the 2031 edition of the AFC Asian Cup. 'When we had the best chance, we gave it away. Now we're looking at 2031 where seven countries, including World Cup-qualified Uzbekistan, are interested. It makes no sense,' said the legendary striker. Dismissing Bhutia's allegations, Chaubey said, 'As a member of the (AIFF) Executive Committee, Mr. Bhutia has access to appropriate and empowered platforms to express his views. 'However, since his defeat in September 2022 (AIFF president's election), he has consistently and deliberately made baseless allegations and presented a distorted image of the AIFF. These actions tarnish the federation's reputation and Indian football internationally.' Chaubey invited Bhutia to the upcoming AIFF Executive Committee meeting on July 2, saying he can raise his concerns and suggestions there. 'He is most welcome to present any constructive proposals, which will be duly deliberated upon in the spirit of transparency, collaboration, and collective development of Indian football,' Chaubey said in an AIFF statement. PTI 'Not interested in contesting AIFF elections if there's govt interference' =========================================== Bhutia, who lost a lopsided election for the AIFF president against Chaubey in 2022, said he's not keen on contesting polls again if there is interference from the government. "If there is interference from the government and other various things, then I don't think I would want to get into fighting an election for the AIFF president. "But yes, if everybody feels that I can do a job, I am okay with it... If somebody is going to sincerely do good for Indian football, I am more than happy to support." On whether sports and politics can mix, he said: "Ideally, it's not bad. We've seen politicians like Mr (Priyaranjan) Das Munshi and Praful Patel do a decent job. But because of Kalyan, now all sportspersons are being tagged badly." Bhutia further criticised Manolo Marquez's earlier dual role (both FC Goa and India coach) and highlighted the lack of planning and clarity on the part of the AIFF. "We should have sat with Manolo Marquez and asked him to choose -- either FC Goa or India. Or wait for six months. There was no plan. No meeting of the technical committee. "I don't mind Indian coaches, but for grassroots and long-term development, we need experts from Portugal, Spain... Those who've worked in academy systems." He also took potshots at AIFF's handling of the negotiations with Indian Super League organisers FSDL regarding the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) which ends in December.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bhaichung Bhutia slams AIFF as ‘circus', accuses Kalyan Chaubey of mismanagement; president hits back, calls charges baseless
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia on Friday made a scathing attack on the All India Football Federation ( AIFF ) leadership, calling the current administration under president Kalyan Chaubey a "circus" riddled with all-round mismanagement. Chaubey hit back through an official statement, dismissing the allegations as "baseless" and accusing Bhutia of "deliberately distorting the image of AIFF". In a no-holds-barred press conference here, Bhutia said Indian football has been experiencing one of the worst phases in recent history -- both in performance and credibility -- under the stewardship of Chaubey. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 이 게임은 쉽고 무료로 플레이할 수 있지만 잊기 어렵습니다 레이드 섀도우 레전드 Undo "The AIFF today is a circus. And when you put jokers in those positions, it's bound to become a circus," Bhutia said, pointing to the federation's inability to resolve the I-League championship impasse between Inter Kashi and Churchill Brothers. The fate of the I-League title hinges on a Court of Arbitration for Sport 's verdict on the appeal filed by Inter Kashi against a decision of the AIFF's Appeals Committee. Live Events "They (AIFF) should have made a clear decision when the controversy erupted. Instead, they let the league continue in confusion. Clubs were treated unfairly. It's embarrassing for Indian football," said Bhutia. Bhutia repeated his earlier criticism of Chaubey's decision to withdraw India's bid to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup , leaving Saudi Arabia the sole candidate in the fray. "Why did we suddenly withdraw our 2027 AFC Asian Cup bid and agree to host the Santosh Trophy in Saudi Arabia instead? This has to be investigated by someone neutral," said Bhutia, alleging "financial misuse" by the AIFF president. Chaubey has now expressed India's interest in bidding for the 2031 edition of the AFC Asian Cup. "When we had the best chance, we gave it away. Now we're looking at 2031 where seven countries, including World Cup-qualified Uzbekistan, are interested. It makes no sense," said the legendary striker. Dismissing Bhutia's allegations, Chaubey said, "As a member of the (AIFF) Executive Committee, Mr. Bhutia has access to appropriate and empowered platforms to express his views. "However, since his defeat in September 2022 (AIFF president's election), he has consistently and deliberately made baseless allegations and presented a distorted image of the AIFF. These actions tarnish the federation's reputation and Indian football internationally." Chaubey invited Bhutia to the upcoming AIFF Executive Committee meeting on July 2, saying he can raise his concerns and suggestions there. "He is most welcome to present any constructive proposals, which will be duly deliberated upon in the spirit of transparency, collaboration, and collective development of Indian football," Chaubey said in an AIFF statement.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
No ISL in Indian football's 2025-26 calendar — AIFF excludes Indian Super League from next season's schedule
The All Indian Football Federation's (AIFF's) competitions calendar 2025-26 had a major change this season, with no mention of the Indian Super League (ISL), the premier division of men's football in the country. The ISL, run by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), started as a franchise league in 2014 and became India's top-flight in 2019. However, the future of the league remains uncertain at the momentwith its Master Rights Agreement (MRA) — it ends in December this year — yet to be renewed. In April, the Executive Committee of the AIFF formed an eight-member task force to discuss the future of the MRA with FSDL, but there has been no final decision on the issue, keeping the clubs in the dark, too, regarding the upcoming season. It has jeopardised transfer plans for multiple clubs as they have not been able to commit to a date or window for the league. In the 2025-26 season, the men's (senior) season would begin with the Durand Cup, while the Super Cup will be played after that, instead of taking place after the ISL as the final tournament of the season. The move largely comes as a consequence of the poor turnout of fans at the tournament and the clubs sending reserve or youth teams to the Cup, treating it as a second-tier competition. AIFF COMPETITIONS CALENDAR 2025-26 Event Start Date End Date Junior Boys Tier 1 and Tier 2 10-07-2025 31-07-2025 Junior Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 10-07-2025 31-07-2025 Durand Cup 15-07-2025 23-08-2025 Super Cup/Federation Cup 01-09-2025 20-09-2025 Sub-Junior Girls Tier 1 and Tier 2 10-08-2025 31-08-2025 Senior Women's Group Stage 01-09-2025 20-09-2025 AIFF Elite Youth League (U14/U16/U18) 01-09-2025 31-05-2026 Senior Women's Final Round 01-10-2025 15-10-2025 I-League 3 01-10-2025 30-11-2025 I-League 19-10-2025 30-04-2026 Indian Women's League 25-10-2025 30-04-2026 Santosh Trophy Group Stage 05-12-2025 20-12-2025 Santosh Trophy Final Round 01-01-2026 20-01-2026 Indian Women's League 2 25-01-2026 30-04-2026 Beach Soccer Championship 01-02-2026 15-02-2026 Futsal Club Championship 01-05-2026 20-05-2026 Swami Vivekananda U-20 Championship 01-04-2026 31-05-2026
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Lector Mascarenhas, Dempo's new GS, sets top goal for the club
Lector Mascarenhas will be based at the Dempo Academy in Old Goa Panaji: Dempo Sports Club have confirmed the appointment of Lector Mascarenhas as their new general secretary. A former international, Lector played for Dempo between 1985 and 1989, before moving to Customs & Central Excise. He was the assistant commissioner, Central Goods and Service Tax at the Margao divisional office at the time of his retirement in 2021. 'It feels great to be back at Dempo,' said Lector, a member of the Goa squad that won the Santosh Trophy in 1984. 'I am honoured and privileged to be appointed as general secretary. At Dempo, I played my best football. After so many years I am back here.' Lector was also part of the India squad for Super Soccer matches against the visiting Sao Paolo FC from Brazil in 1984 and of Dempo, Shrinivas Dempo, welcomed Lector back to the club. 'Lector is a multifaceted person and his vast experience as a top-class football player as well as his administrative experience will undoubtedly help to raise the standard of the DSC Academy, the Pro-league and I-league teams,' said Shrinivas. Disciplined and organised, Lector is not new to football administration, having served as general secretary at the Goa Football Association (GFA) in 2022-23, after Caitano Fernandes was elected as the president. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch online với TMGM TMGM Đăng ký Undo 'The priority is to see that Dempo is at the top again. Given my experience as a player and secretary and even in my dept (at Customs and Excise), I feel I fit the role,' said Lector. Five-time national champions Dempo returned to the I-League last season. Coached by Samir Naik, Dempo even managed to reach the second spot in the standings after the first five rounds with only three foreign signings instead of the maximum six. However, injuries and transfers saw them go through a rough phase, but they eventually finished strongly in seventh place. Their key focus in the past decade has been the residential academy in Ella, Old Goa, which has produced promising talent. Recently, their very own Jodric Abranches was the only representative from Goa in India's SAFF U-19 winning campaign with Bibiano Fernandes as coach. 'I have to oversee objectives, especially the residential academy. There is nothing better than an academy. The academy is a place where you get everything, technical part, discipline, diet. It's a great opportunity to look into it, so that we can continue producing quality players,' said Lector. Lector has signed a one-year contract with Dempo which can be reviewed and re-signed annually. 'I would need time to see what is happening at the club. But of course, I feel I will be in a position to interact with youngsters and motivate them as well. Having achieved off the field, in that sense I can be of help to them,' said Lector.
India Gazette
28-05-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Manolo Marquez confirms 28-member Blue Tigers travelling squad for Thailand friendly
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 28 (ANI): Indian men's national team head coach Manolo Marquez confirmed on Wednesday that all 28 players participating in the ongoing camp in Kolkata will travel to Thailand for the FIFA friendly against the hosts, scheduled for June 4, according to the official website of AIFF. The Blue Tigers had been training in the City of Joy since May 19. The contingent will leave for Thailand on Wednesday evening. The friendly match between India and Thailand will take place on June 4 at the Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani. Subsequently, India will depart for Hong Kong on June 5 for the all-important AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifiers final round fixture against the East Asian side on June 10. In Kolkata, Marquez's men underwent six full days of training, with gym sessions in the mornings and on-pitch training in the evenings. The Blue Tigers played two practice matches on May 26 and 27. On Monday, they won 2-1 against Santosh Trophy Champions Bengal, with Brandon Fernandes and Ashique Kuruniyan finding the net. Tuesday saw a 3-0 victory over North 24 Parganas as Sunil Chhetri, Chinglensana Singh Konsham and Udanta Singh Kumam scored the goals. India' 28-member squad for the FIFA Friendly against Thailand: Goalkeepers: Hrithik Tiwari, Vishal Kaith, Gurmeet Singh, Amrinder Naorem Roshan Singh, Rahul Bheke, Chinglensana Singh Konsham, Anwar Ali, Boris Singh Thangjam, Sandesh Jhingan, Asish Rai, Subhasish Bose, Mehtab Singh, Abhishek Singh Suresh Singh Wangjam, Mahesh Singh Naorem, Ayush Dev Chhetri, Udanta Singh Kumam, Lalengmawia Ralte, Liston Colaco, Ashique Kuruniyan, Brandon Fernandes, Nikhil Sunil Chhetri, Edmund Lalrindika, Manvir Singh, Suhail Ahmad Bhat, Lallianzuala Chhangte. (ANI)
