In a historic turn of events, Minerva Academy owner Ranjit Bajaj was appointed as the team manager for the U15 India team for the FIFA U15 World Cup. Bajaj’s team had earlier defeated the legendary Liverpool FC’s U15 squad by 6-0 earlier in April 2026 during the Round of 16 at the Mediterranean International Cup (MIC Cup) held in Spain. This led to the coach requesting the AIFF to appoint him as the coach for the young team to lead them to global recognition.
Following the widespread social buzz, Bajaj was appointed the team manager while Bibiano Fernandez was named the head coach. In a shocking turn of events, the academy owner declined the offer, stating, their ideologies regarding football didn't match and that putting two strong headed people together would “screw Indian football”.
Later in an Instagram post, he opened up on the whole situation where he stated, “I am not happy, I am very unhappy… This is the worse thing they could have done. I don’t see the logic behind appointing me as manager and Bibiano as coach together.Youth football is about long-term planning. You don’t start building a World Cup team two months before the tournament.”
Bajaj stated that Fernandez prefers defensive style of football while he prefers high-press football. He also slammed the association by calling out that his appointment as a manager was a last minute desperate move as they didn't have any world class coach and that's why they approached one of the biggest critics of the association. He later stated that his whole team of coaches which includes, massage therapist, psychologist and his team makes him a world class coach.
India U-15 World Cup plans hit as Ranjit Bajaj rejects AIFF appointment
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) officially appointed Minerva Academy founder Ranjit Bajaj as Team Manager and Bibiano Fernandes as Head Coach for the India Under-15 Men’s National Team ahead of the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup in Azerbaijan. However, the ambitious management partnership collapsed just hours after the announcement when Bajaj rejected the role. The federation aimed to combine Bajaj's grassroots scouting success with Fernandes’s proven tactical youth coaching to prepare for the tournament in October 2026.
Despite the public selection, Bajaj declined due to a major clash in footballing philosophies, noting that his aggressive, high-pressing style would heavily conflict with Fernandes's defensive counter-attacking system. Additionally, Bajaj expressed frustration that the AIFF announced the appointment without prior consultation and denied him the authority to bring in his own backroom staff. He also criticized the two-month timeline as insufficient to build a competitive squad for a global event.
This sudden breakdown has left the AIFF searching for a replacement manager to work alongside Fernandes as preparation time quickly runs out before the tournament kicks off.
