"You can take it from me today - Indian football will be dead in five years,"
Peter Vaz
The Goan Network
Panaji
Peter Vaz, the chairman of Sporting Clube de Goa and one of the most strident opponents of the AIFF's restructuring plan, was sharply critical of the manner in which the situation has panned out.
"I used to think the AIFF was just acting deaf, but now I know they are dumb," he said in reaction soon after the announcement to pull out of I-League on Friday.
"If they can manage to run the I-League for five more years, then good luck to them."
Vaz called for government intervention and the involvement of clubs and former footballers in the running of Indian football.
"The decisions are being taken by wrong people in the wrong places. In any football country, it is the clubs that make the federation. The federation never makes the clubs. There's a big problem with the constitution of the AIFF, as it is.
"I've been watching Indian football for a while. I am noticing a trend of knee-jerk reactions. Whether with their deal with Zee in 2005, or with their idea of introducing the Pailan Arrows into the I-League; I had given these ideas five years and three years to fold up, and they did. You can take it from me today; Indian football will be dead in five years.
"What's happening at the moment is wishful thinking. If you look at traditional leagues in England and Spain, it is not uncommon to have more than one team from one place. Any good city will have 3-4 teams. How can the Indian federation suddenly start saying that you can't have more than one club from a city? It is this lack of vision that has seen teams like Mahindra United and JCT withdraw in the past.
"The AIFF struck down on traditional teams a few years ago - that sounded the death knell for teams like Air India, HAL. Then they asked clubs to fulfill the AFC licensing criteria, which killed a few other teams. Some years ago, they wanted all state associations to adhere to licensing criteria also.
"Only Goa Football Association (GFA) amended its constitution and got a professional secretary. Some of the state associations don't even have a table and chair, forget an office. Is this how a national body is meant to function? More teams have been withdrawing since AIFF introduced direct entry to the league. Mumbai Tigers never even entered the league, while Bharat FC shut down after one season. Pune FC have also taken their team out."
