Context

• On August 15, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) was suspended by the global governing body for football, FIFA owing to the rationale that a temporary Committee of Administrators (CoA) appointed by the Supreme Court constituted ‘third-party interference’.
• AIFF is the governing body of football in India and this is the first time AIFF has been suspended since the federation was formed in 1937.
• This suspension also took away the country’s rights to hold the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022, scheduled to be held from October 11-30.

Background

• Genesis: The current set of troubles for Indian football began after the erstwhile AIFF president, Praful Patel, refused to relinquish his post as the head of football in the country.
  • Patel had completed his three terms and 12 years as AIFF president in December 2020.
  • However, the polls could not take place because of pending cases in the SC regarding the constitution of AIFF.
• SC intervention: On May 18, the Supreme Court intervened, and removed Patel from his post.
• Unease over Committee of Administrators: The SC appointed a Committee of Administrators (CoA) to run the AIFF which was considered third-party interference as per FIFA statutes and eventually led to the ban.
• Not immediate ban: Only after CoA altered the executive committee of the AIFF, its mode of formation, the FIFA banned the CoA as these major changes were considered as third-party interference.
• Other major alterations: The CoA also made changes in the wording of what India’s top league was, how relegation and promotion would work.
  • It also made changes in laying down that the AIFF would be running the top league solely. This had the potential to reopen the great battle in Indian football, i.e. over which league (I-League or Indian Super League), would be accorded the spot of India’s top promotion.
  • Previously, the long battle, in this regard, had ended in 2018, with the ISL being made India’s top league and the I-League being demoted as a second division league.

About FIFA

• Description: FIFA or the Federation Internationale de Football Association is the highest governing body of football in the world. FIFA is a non-profit organization, headquartered in Zurich.
• Sports: It is the international governing body of association football, futsal, and beach soccer.
• History: Founded in 1904, FIFA now comprises 211 member nations.

Cleaning up football administration

• SC observation: The SC took cognisance of the fact that a private society, registered and operating in India, the activities of which are of public significance and are partially funded by public money, was not being run in compliance with the law.
  • Hence, CoA was requested to draft a new constitution for the federation in terms of the National Sports Code, conduct elections under the said constitution and to then hand over control to the newly elected body.
• Significance: It was incumbent upon the court to intervene, particularly where public money is concerned. The CoA was therefore meant to bring in reform along the lines of the BCCI reforms for cricket starting in 2015.

The ‘third party’ excuse

• Parity in voting rights: The draft constitution, submitted by CoA to SC, states the electoral college had representatives from 36 State associations and 36 eminent football players, 24 male and 12 female.
  • As a result, 36 state associations with voting rights would now have to contend with 36 eminent players who would have the same voting rights.
• Adherence to National Sports Code : The binding National Sports Code issued by the central government also requires players to be a part of the electoral college (a minimum of 25% is prescribed).
• FIFA’s own mandate: Although the world body agreed to 25% player representation in the committee, no changes were recorded on paper. FIFA’s own statutes also require player representation in the electoral college.
  • But in a series of letters addressed to AIFF, FIFA made it clear that it did not want players in the electoral college.
  • The obvious inference is that FIFA did not want the unpredictability of several new voters during the elections.
  • With upcoming elections to FIFA itself, it wouldn’t want to set a precedent for other member nations to follow.

FIFA lifted ban now

• FIFA conditions to lift ban: FIFA has said that two main concerns need to be addressed in order for the ban to be lifted.
  • Repeal CoA: First, the mandate of the CoA would have to be repealed in full.
  • Give charge back to AIFF: Second, the AIFF administration would need to be completely in charge of its day-to-day running once again.
  • Mode of AIFF constitution: FIFA also stated that it wanted the AIFF constitution to be revised on the terms of FIFA policies, and for the election to be held on current AIFF membership structures that are based on state associations only.
• Ban lifted now: FIFA lifted the suspension imposed on AIFF after it received confirmation that the mandate of the CoA that was set up to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee had been terminated and that the AIFF administration had regained full control of the AIFF’s daily affairs.

Hope for reform

• In light of the suspension, the Supreme Court acted in the interest of the sport in India by modifying its previous orders and letting the ongoing elections be conducted without players in the electoral college.
• But the court’s modification is only applicable to the ongoing elections and the reforms suggested by the CoA remain pending before the court. The battle to democratise the administration of the sport