AIFF announces nationwide consultation to develop India's first 'National Football Philosophy'

The initiative aims to address long-standing inconsistencies in talent identification and player development, establishing a clear progression from grassroots to the national teams, as per an AIFF press release.

Once finalised, it will guide coach education, competition structures, and development programmes nationwide.

The AIFF has stressed that this must be a ground-up exercise, inviting contributions from coaches, players, clubs, academies, member associations, and fans. Participants will share views on six areas: vision and identity, game model, player profile, development pathways, coaching approach, and implementation.

Participants have been requested to fill in the required details in a Google form on their official website to be a part of the initiative.

The AIFF announced this framework in response to India's recent football woes, be it on the field or away from it. India's performances in the past two years or so have led to them dipping to 136 in the FIFA Rankings in men's football. Other than a third place finish in the CAFA Nations Cup last year in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, India has failed to leave its mark on the international level.

In past few months, the country's top-tier football competition, Indian Super League (ISL), which features stars from the national team like Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhinghan etc., among several others playing with and alongside foreign talent, find new takers. The ISL, usually held from September to April every year, started in February 14 this year as it struggled to find any bidders. After months of uncertainty, the digital and TV rights for the league went to FanCode.

The league was put on a standstill due to differences between AIFF and the board's partner, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), which stemmed from unresolved contractual matters. (ANI)