The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday was suspended by FIFA due to "undue influence from third parties" and hence the country has also been removed as the host of the 2022 Under-17 Women's World Cup which is scheduled for October.
"The Bureau of the FIFA Council has unanimously decided to suspend the All India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect due to undue influence from third parties, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes," FIFA said in a statement.
The Sporting governing body addressed that it was 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." This is the first time that the AIFF has received suspension by FIFA in its 85-year history.
Why has FIFA decided to suspend India?
The first domino in this suspension fell when the Supreme Court forced out Praful Patel as AIFF president for not holding elections due in December 2020 and appointed a three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) to manage the organisation's affairs. This created a third-party influence in the workings of the AIFF. However, FIFA didn’t issue a suspension but sent a committee to monitor the situation.
The committee then received a constitution drafted by the CoA, to which they presented a certain number of amends. But the Supreme Court then pushed the AIFF to hold elections as soon as possible with the results being declared by 28 or 29 August. Hence, The Bureau of the FIFA Council unanimously decided to suspend the All India Football Federation (AIFF) with immediate effect because of the undue influence from third parties, which is a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes.
What is FIFA's decision on India hosting the U-17 Women's World Cup?
As India is a suspended member, they cannot host the World Cup that is to take place in October. But if the ban gets lifted in time for the tournament, India could still host the World Cup.
"The suspension means that the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022, scheduled to take place in India on 11-30 October 2022, cannot currently be held in India as planned. FIFA is assessing the next steps with regard to the tournament and will refer the matter to the Bureau of the Council if and when necessary," FIFA said in its statement.
How can AIFF lift their suspension?
AIFF needs to adhere completely to the FIFA guidelines for lifting the suspension. The statement released by the authority said, "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."
How will FIFA suspension affect Indian football?
The FIFA suspension will lead to India losing its hosting rights to U-17 Women’s World Cup, the national teams will not be prohibited to play in international matches. Indian clubs will not be allowed to take part in continental tournaments.
The men's team is set to play Singapore and Vietnam next month but now those games are uncertain. The senior women's team will not be allowed to participate in the SAFF Women's Championship next month, while Gokulam Kerala FC will not be allowed to play in the AFC Women's Club Championship next week.