IPFCA to submit I-League proposals to the AIFF

The member clubs of the I-League Professional Football Clubs Association (IPFCA) met yesterday in Vasco, Goa to discuss their next course of action and issues of mutual interest to the member clubs playing in the I-League.

The I-League Professional Football Clubs Association is made-up of 13 of the 14 participating teams of the top tier I-League with only the AIFF Developmental side, the Pailan Arrows, not being part of the club association as they aren't a proper football club.

The meeting was chaired by the IPFCA president Raj Gomes, who is the secretary of the Salgaocar FC, in the presence of the member clubs with IPFCA Secretary Chirag Tanna of Pune FC moderating the meeting.

After the meeting Raj Gomes told Goan newspaper Herald, "We dwelt on the I-league format for next season, Second Division I-league, grassroots and youth development, infrastructure, licensing criteria, marketing, broadcasting and several issues which are needed to be taken up stage-wise for raising the standard of Indian football when the I-League clubs are investing in crores. We also discussed on ways and means of making football a pan-Indian affair, rather than just being concentrated in few states like Goa and Bengal. Ultimately we need to work to make football a golden product."

"We will submit the report to the AIFF as we are partners in the development of football and work together, since the goal is the same. Football has to be run as business and we have to develop our own model which will spread the game throughout the country so that each state thrown its own home grown heroes which can then be exported, something which is not happening now," Raj Gomes added.

I-League Committee Meeting on August 23

The All India Football Federation has called for a meeting of the I-League Committee for the 2012/13 season at Football House in Dwarka, New Delhi on Thursday, August 23 at 11.00 IST.

The AIFF letter does not include an agenda and as stated in the invitation they would do so in due course, but surely on the agenda would be the plans about the IPL-style league/tournament that the AIFF's marketing partners IMG-Reliance are working on.

There has been a lot of irritation and confusion about IMG-Reliance's plans with little concrete information coming out and there being a lot of speculation in Indian football circles on what the sports marketing majors are working on.

The I-League Professional Football Clubs Association, the new body formed over the summer by the top Indian football clubs, has been critical of the IMG-Reliance plans which as they say weakens the I-League and thereby hurts the interests of their member clubs.

It will surely be an eagerly awaited meeting on August 23.

India's Club vs Country reloaded

For a few summers the Club vs Country debate had not been held in the Indian off-season, but it now is back in 2012. India is set to play in the 2012 Nehru Cup from August 23 to September 2 with a camp called under new national coach Wim Koevermans from July 27 onwards.

The I-League clubs under the banner of the newly formed I-League Professional Football Clubs Association (IPFCA) are saying that they will release players from their pre-season preparations only two weeks ahead of the Nehru Cup as per FIFA guidelines for releasing of players for international tournaments.

On Sunday former captain Baichung Bhutia had something interesting to say on this matter in Kolkata, "We can not compare ourselves with the players in Germany, Spain and European nations as their two week-time is enough. But for Indians we know that we need more and more training to do well in any international tournament."

And Baichung went on to say, "All should also support newly appointed AIFF's senior coach Wim Koevermans as his experience would surely help Indian football!"

Before ending by saying, "I being a player and owner of a club must make some contribution to the football and being part of the national side is the best opportunity one should have for all round development of the game."

Baichung has a very valid point here which the I-League clubs simply cannot ignore. FIFA's international calendar is mainly intended for European football, then the FIFA match dates - qualifiers, friedlies and tournaments have to be in sync with UEFA and their competitions plus the country leagues across the continent.

Especially in Asia and Africa it is rather a problem, then the calendar would be a little different if there weren't all these global FIFA match dates on which national teams play. Or e.g. why are clubs in Europe always angry about the African Cup of Nations and the Asian Cup taking place in January, while many of their leagues are running.

One can only hope that sense prevails and the players are released on time, so Wim Koevermans can get his best squad together for his first assignment or India will suffer at the Nehru Cup, which it has won on the last couple of occasions.

I-League Professional Football Clubs Association formed

Launched in March 2012 as the Indian Professional Football Clubs Association (IPFCA) it was officially launched yesterday in Goa under a modified name as the I-League Professional Football Clubs Association with 10 of the current 14 I-League clubs attending.

Those who attended the meeting were Raj Gomes (General Secretary, Salgaocar SC), Debashish Dutta and Alokesh Banerjee (Directors, Mohun Bagan AC), Armando Colaco (General Secretary, Dempo SC), Chirag Tanna (Head of Operations, Pune FC), Shanti Ranjan Dasgupta (East Bengal Club), Atul Badgamia (Mumbai FC), Bharat Thapa (Air India), Macario Rodrigues (Churchill Brothers SC), Nabab Bhattacharya (Prayag United SC), Victor Fernandes (CEO, Sporting Clube de Goa).

Representatives of Shillong Lajong FC, United Sikkim and ONGC could not attend the meeting but have conveyed their support for the association, while the Pailan Arrows being the AIFF Developmental side is not part of the association.

The clubs discussed how to register the IPFCA under the Society Registration Act 1860 by June 30, the formation of a managing committee and points to be raised with the AIFF all morning before meeting the media to inform them about the official formation of the IPFCA. The aim is to work towards development and professionalization of club football in India.

Amongst the issues discussed at the meeting, the most important to the clubs was about the promise of a revised I-League structure made by the AIFF's marketing partner IMG-Reliance.

The clubs were also unhappy about the fact that the AIFF and their I-League department had released a tentative calendar for the 2012/13 season without informing and discussing with the clubs.

The clubs have also unanimously decided that they will release players for the India national team camps only as per FIFA rules and regulations. This could lead to problems, then as per these rules long camps are not part of the FIFA regulations.


The managing committee will comprise of all the 13 clubs and the office bearers will be as follows

President: Raj Gomes
Vice-President: Debashish Dutta, Shanti Ranjan Dasgupta, Armando Colaco
General Secretary: Chirag Tanna
Treasurer: Victor Fernandes

Why did I-League clubs not attend AFC Adhoc Committee meet?

While the Asian Football Confederation president Zhang Jilong was in New Delhi yesterday to chair the last meeting of the AFC's Adhoc Committee for Indian Professional Football, the four representatives of the I-League clubs - Pranab Dasgupta (East Bengal president), Joaquim Alemao (Churchill Brothers president), Rajeev Piramal (Pune FC director) and Larsing Ming Sawian (Shillong Lajong owner) - decided not to attend.

Interestingly it was highlighted by the AFC, the AIFF and others attending that things are moving in the right direction with the I-League and in place of the Adhoc committee a new Task Force would be created to further push for its development.

But the reality is far from it then why would otherwise the I-League clubs not attend such a final committee meeting?

It is clear from such a reaction by the clubs that things are far from perfect as shown by the federation. The clubs have formed their own body in the Indian Professional Football Club Association and the plans which the AIFF along with their marketing partners IMG-Reliance were supposed to present to the clubs on April 20 is still pending.

The dates of next seasons I-League might be finalised, but where the I-League is heading in the future is totally unclear, which the authorities running the affairs should know is simply unacceptable.

Indian Professional Football Clubs Association launched

12 I-League club owners/representatives came together today to formally launch the Indian Professional Football Clubs Association (IPFCA) to look after the interests of the top tier football clubs in India. The IPFCA formation is a direct reaction to the All India Football Federation and their marketing partners IMG-Reliance unability to market and promote the I-League over the last few years. A formal launch will be done soon.

The decision to form the IPFCA was taken following the meeting held at the Ashok Piramal Group Business Centre - Lotus Lounge in Mumbai. The conclusive idea of forming the IPFCA is to safeguard the interest of its member clubs, promote and popularize the football in India. Further it was decided that the IPFCA would be funded by member clubs and formed under the Society Registration Act 1860.

The clubs also spelt out IPFCA objectives, which include
- Promote and safeguard the common interests of the clubs
- Popularize the I-League across India
- Help make the I-League sustainable and profitable
- Encourage the formation of new professional clubs
- Share best practices among member clubs
- Get the I-League teams to play in the Asian Champions League.

There was detailed discussion amongst the club owners and representatives regarding the progress made towards setting a focused approach for making the I-League a separate entity in which the clubs would have major stakes. This move is something that especially the AIFF is objecting to do at the moment.

The clubs expressed deep concern with regards to the departure of Mahindra United and JCT from the Indian club football scene and expressed their anguish that unless corrective suitable action is taken, others may follow suit.

The members who met and outlined IPFCA were
1. Kingfisher East Bengal - Shanti Ranjan Das Gupta
2. McDowells Mohun Bagan - Anjan Mitra, Debashish Dutta, Alokesh Banerjee
3. Prayag United SC - Siddhartha Bhattacharya
4. Salgaocar SC - Shivanand Salgaocar, Raj Gomes
5. Dempo SC - Srinivas Dempo, Suvrat Thatte
6. Sporting Clube de Goa - Peter Vaz, Victor Fernandes
7. Chirag Kerala - Prashantan
8. Mumbai FC - Atul Badgamia
9. Air-India SC - Godfrey Pereira
10. Shillong Lajong FC - Larsingh Ming
11. Pune FC - Nandan Piramal, Chirag Tanna
12. Churchill Brothers SC - requested "Leave of Absence," but offered total support to the decisions and the formation of the IPFCA.

It was also proposed that the registered office of the IPFCA will be the Pune FC office.