The AIFF’s selection process, particularly at the youth level and lower leagues, has been a subject of ongoing debate and concern. Constant criticism has always been directed towards the scouting methods employed by the apex body. The recent evaluation by the FIFA team, led by Arsene Wenger, for the AIFF-FIFA Academy in Bhubaneswar, has underscored the challenges within the base of Indian football putting AIFF under scrutiny again.
Arsene Wenger discards 38/50 trainees for AIFF-FIFA Academy
The memorandum of understanding for the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy was signed in the presence of Wenger, FIFA’s chief of global football development, on November 21. However, the evaluation process revealed that out of the 50 under-14 boys initially chosen for the academy, 38 were discarded by the FIFA team. The AIFF scouts had selected 41 boys from the sub-junior national championships and the Subroto Cup held in September, with nine boys from Odisha completing the initial 50.
As a result of this evaluation, new players will need to be scouted primarily from the under-13 and under-15 national leagues scheduled to commence in January 2024, causing a delay in the full implementation of the academy under Spanish coach Sergio Fontronda. The FIFA team, having conducted workshops and identified “super scouts,” will play a crucial role in aiding the AIFF in player identification.
“So, the academy is ready but we don’t have players now,” said an AIFF official to Hindustan Times.
“There is a difference between the eyes of Wenger and Sergio and our scouts,” said another AIFF official.
‘June 2024 was the target for AIFF-FIFA Academy’: M Satyanarayan
AIFF’s acting secretary-general, M Satyanarayan, stated that the target has always been to have all 30 trainees selected by June 2024. With a focus on the youth leagues, where teams must undergo medical age-verification tests, the AIFF aims to enhance its scouting process and address the challenges inherent in talent identification at the grassroots level.
“It will be a continuous process over three to four months because FIFA is very clear about the scouting process being thorough.” said Satyanarayan.
“We are finalising the modus operandi of how to scout players from the youth leagues which will have teams from academies, ISL and I-League clubs,” he added.
“The 30 players chosen by AIFF will be at the academy for 340 days a year. Our target is to get the team ready for the 2026 under-17 World Cup qualifiers,” Satyanarayan concluded.
AIFF-FIFA Academy to be up and running from February 2024:
Upon full functionality, the academy, funded and operated by the Odisha government, will host 45 boys, including 15 from Odisha. Training for Odisha boys is expected to commence in February 2024.
The Odisha government’s financial commitment secured the academy in Bhubaneswar over an I-League club, sparing AIFF the running costs. Previous regional academies, set up by AIFF in the 2010s, folded due to financial constraints.
Besides FIFA coach Fontronda, AIFF will provide two assistants, one goalkeeper’s coach, two physios, two team managers, and two full-time wardens. The support staff will also include a tutor, doctor, and welfare officer.
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