Indian football legend Bhaichung Bhutia believes the Indian Premier League (IPL) can serve as the “biggest example” for how the All India Football Federation (AIFF) should organise the country’s top-tier
football competition.
His comments came after the Supreme Court approved AIFF’s draft constitution, which mandates that the league be owned and managed solely by the federation, ending private ownership.
A New Challenge for AIFF
Bhutia acknowledged that while the shift poses challenges, the AIFF now has an opportunity to learn from the IPL model.“I think it’s a challenge because when we started the ISL with FSDL, somebody had to come in and do it because I don’t think at that time the All India Football Federation was ready,” Bhutia told PTI at the launch of Sports for Life’s Football League Season 2.
“They’ve done it for 10 years now. The Supreme Court ruling has said that it has to come to AIFF. I don’t know how it’s going to work out, but it’s important that AIFF works with all stakeholders — ISL clubs, FSDL, television rights holders. Everybody should come together and make sure the league is organised. The IPL is one of the biggest examples of how BCCI has created and run the tournament. If we can copy that model, it will help.”
Support and Representation
The former India captain stressed that AIFF cannot succeed alone. “It’s going to be very, very difficult. But since it’s a Supreme Court ruling, maybe the federation is going to try and take a chance. They will require support from many, including FSDL,” he said.
Bhutia also welcomed the fact that, for the first time since independence, former players will be part of AIFF’s general body.
“It’s a very, very welcome step. If you look from state to district level associations, it’s difficult for ex-footballers to contribute in administration. Many go into coaching, but football governance has lacked player voices,” he added, citing Michel Platini’s leadership roles in France and UEFA as examples.
(with PTI inputs)
