FIFA suspends India’s national football federation AIFF due to THIS reason

International football body FIFA suspended India’s national football federation late on Monday (August 15) ‘due to undue influence from third parties’, the sport’s governing body said. The suspension of the All India Football Federation threatens the country’s hosting of the Under-17 Women’s World Cup scheduled for October 11 to 30.

FIFA said the suspension was effective immediately and that the transgression – constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes.

“The suspension will be lifted once an order to set up a committee of administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF executive committee has been repealed and the AIFF administration regains full control of the AIFF’s daily affairs,” FIFA said.

The Under-17 Women’s World Cup ‘cannot currently be held in India as planned’, FIFA said. “FIFA is in constant constructive contact with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in India and is hopeful that a positive outcome to the case may still be achieved.”

Indian National Team will not be able to play any international games until the ban is removed!_

FIFA has banned the AIFF because of third party intervention. #AIFF #FIFA #IFTWC #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/zLyyRuJXvD

— Indian Football Team for World Cup (@IFTWC) August 15, 2022

World football governing body FIFA had informed the Sports Ministry that it remains firm in its opposition to individual members’ inclusion in the electoral college for the upcoming All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) elections.

Seeking clarity on FIFA’s demands and the sports ministry’s stand on the Indian football imbroglio, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) on Monday received a communication from the ministry, sources in the know of things said.

“In the letter, the union sports ministry has mentioned everything about the suggestions given by FIFA during their meeting with the ministry,” a source said.

FIFA wants individual members of electoral college to come from the state associations and other entities.

The letter from the ministry was received a day after the CoA wrote to them asking for concrete advice based on FIFA's requirements and the ministry’s stand on the same. “We have given our stand on AIFF in a written reply to CoA which will be put before the court in the next hearing,” a ministry official said.

(with PTI inputs)