FIFA suspends All India Football Federation due to undue influence from third parties

The global football governing body FIFA has suspended the All India Football Federation (AIFF) due to undue influence from third parties. In a statement, FIFA termed it a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes. It 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once an order to set up a committee of administrators to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee has been repealed and the AIFF administration regains full control of the AIFF’s daily affairs.

The AIFF ran into trouble after former chief Praful Patel stayed in office beyond his term with the Supreme Court of India ruling it



invalid. The apex court had placed the AIFF under the aegis of a Committee of Administrators (CoA) it had selected in May 2022. The decision to suspend the AIFF comes even as the Supreme Court of India directed that the election of the executive committee of the Indian football governing body be held expeditiously.

The Supreme Court order came on a plea filed by the Committee of Administrators seeking contempt action against AIFF’s ex-President Praful Patel and others alleging their interference, earlier this month.