All India Football Federation launches Football Masters Course
All India Football Federation, the apex governing body of football in India officially launched its Football Management Program with the signing of an MOU with Spanish La LigaSmartBankco-leaders Cadiz CF. This will enable students in the Program to study in three cities over the course of a year – New Delhi, Mumbai and Cadiz (Spain).
AIFF Masters provides students with complete hands-on experiential training on every aspect of football in India and abroad through live tournament exposure, match staging, clubs and team management, data management and analysis, leadership and project management skills, contractual and legal obligations, sponsorship marketing and business communication. This program will provide exemplary football managers to meet the needs of Indian football.
The multi-campus approach is set to ensure maximum exposure for the students to learn and develop within the different national and international eco-systems of the game.
Mr.Praful Patel, President, AIFF said, “Football is without any doubt the number one global sport and is growing very quickly in India. We felt that such a Program was much needed to help students understand the nuances and global practices involved in managing football not only in India but across the world. With the curriculum combining theoretical and practical knowledge, there will be a paradigm shift in football management in the country.”
Mr.Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF said, “The AIFF Masters Program will be the first to be conducted by any sports federation in India. It will give a structured insight into governance of world football as laid down in FIFA and AFC statutes and an understanding of the plethora of rules and regulations for managing football in India in line with best practices across the world including player status, regulations, competition regulations, terms of reference and functioning of standing and judicial committees, finance and budgetary control, integrity, anti-racism and anti-doping regulations.”
Mr. Enrique Perez, Corporate and Business Director, Cadiz Football Club added, “We are thrilled to open up the best practices of our club for the benefit of AIFF Masters students and give them the opportunity to learn how to successfully manage a Football Team and a Club with the highest standards in the world. Our team of managers, coaches, sports scientists, players and support staff are looking forward to sharing their knowledge and experience with the students over the course of one whole month!”
“We are excited to partner with this only one-of-its-kind National Sports Federation-led Football Management Program in the world and look at this being the Football bridge of excellence between India and Spain. It is a matter of pride for us that the Indian Football Team Coach, Mr. Igor Stimac, has played for Cadiz CF during his illustrious career,” said Mr. Manuel Vizcaino, President, Cadiz Football Club.
Key Features of AIFF Masters
The program inculcates exclusive and rare learning insights in to the operations of a top European Football Club – Cadiz CF by giving students the opportunity to live and work in the Club for an entire month.
A Common Admission Test ensures that every interested candidate has an equal opportunity to enroll in the limited seats on offer each year.
Strong line-up of global football faculty to share their knowledge and experience
Will this be open season for mergers and takeovers? And is this the only way clubs in the I League, now relegated to the second tier in the country behind the ISL and forever struggling for finances, survive?
Rajasthan’s first football club sees success on debut
The club came to be because of the passion of two friends — Sohil Bhansali and Shubham Garg back in 2018.
In the Indian football ecosystem, one name that has never been heard is that of Rajasthan. Despite being the largest state, football has always shied away from making a mark there. Not anymore as Rajasthan FC has arrived and Monday was their first professional game. They played Lonestar Kashmir and won 2-0. But the result is just a sidenote. The fact that the desert state now finally has national representation and a professional football club is in itself a huge achievement.
The club came to be because of the passion of two friends — Sohil Bhansali and Shubham Garg back in 2018. “Both of us were football lovers and have played for the state. We used to conduct small leagues in cities like Jaipur, Varanasi, Delhi for young kids. But our ultimate goal was to form a professional club in our state,” CEO Sohil told this daily. With the help of the Rajasthan Football Association and AIFF, and AU Small Finance Bank, who came on board as title sponsors, the club came into existence on paper. “It was a great moment for us as well as for all involved. But obviously there were further obstacles to deal with.”
Playing in the second division of the I-League was a conscious decision on the part of the owners. But even for that, certain criteria had to be met. “Infrastructure-wise, we needed a stadium, we needed an academy set-up and obviously we had to be a part of the state league.”The club helped the state FA to organise the state league. For the academy, they tied up with Poornima University which lent them the residential wing as well as a training pitch. The club now has a residential set-up for the age groups of U-8, U-10, U-13, U-15 and U-18. But it was not without difficulty.
“The younger generation is passionate about the sport thanks to the internet. But for kids to actually enroll in a residential academy, the mentality of the older generation had to be changed.” The club tied up with a CBSE school nearby and now the kids not only play but also devote time to studies. This has slowly contributed to a change in mentality. Rajasthan FC also has a women’s team and there are plans to introduce a similar system for them in the future.
But the Second Division will be a challenge monetarily with AU no longer with them as title sponsors. “Money is an issue we cannot ignore. For this season, we have enough on board but in the long run, we definitely require help.” Economic issues aside, what is most important is that the state finally will be called in the same breath as Bengal, Kerala and the north-east. A testament being their first-ever playing squad had almost seventy per cent representation from Rajasthan itself
When Jerry Mawihmingthanga was 16, he went for a trial held by the DSK Shivajians-Liverpool academy in Mizoram in the 2014-15 season. The coaches there noticed his potential and decided to watch him play for Chanmari FC against Chanmari West in the Mizoram Premier League (MPL) a few days later. Jerry came off the bench in that game. In a grainy video, he rides a couple of challenges expertly and chips the goalkeeper for a delightful goal. DSK’s coach Dave Rogers was in the stands and remembers turning to his assistant and saying: “That’s it. He has what it takes. He just needs the right environment. We are signing him."
Even though he’s just 22, Jerry since has had many moments that make one think he will make it big time. Quite apart from the standout matches in which he has scored—including the fastest goal in Indian Super League history (22.8 seconds, for Jamshedpur FC against Kerala Blasters in ISL 4 )—Jerry’s sheer pursuit of a football career was typified by his performance for the now defunct DSK Shivajians in a Federation Cup 2017 match against Bengaluru FC, and more specifically, against Sunil Chhetri.
Jerry, then 20, was asked by Dave Rogers to mark Chhetri out of the game. “If Sunil goes to the toilet, you mark him there too. Even wash his hands for him," were the instructions, as Rogers once told me.
It is fair to say that the way Jerry hounded Chhetri in that game is characteristic of his quest to keep getting better. Chhetri had to change his position thrice to find space, but Jerry just didn’t let him play. The match ended in a remarkable 2-0 win for DSK, at a time when their players had gone unpaid for months.
That afternoon, the players’ motivation to win was put to the test, and Jerry was exemplary.
“You could tell Jerry where you want him to play and he will do a decent job across the pitch, he is that clever. Which is why, against Sunil, he was so driven. He was like that every day in training as well. Tenacious, focused and hungry. I remember him knocking on my door every evening asking for extra drills and anything that can make him the best he can be," says Rogers, who holds a Uefa Pro Licence, and is in charge of Arizona FC in the US.
But Jerry was probably motivated much before Rogers brought out the best in him. “You know they used to make you write those essays in school, and one of the topics would be ‘what is your aim in life’? I always wrote about how I wanted to be a footballer. My Plan B was to join the army, but I always knew I would make it in football," he says. Jerry has started 14 of the 15 matches played by Odisha FC in the ongoing ISL 6.
He has already gathered two goals and four assists, has the most goal contributions among all Under-23 players in the ISL, and has created 18 chances for his team—second only to Spanish teammate Xisco Hernández, who has created 20.
This could very well be the year when he has his breakthrough season.
Odisha decided to sign him as a replacement for Lallianzuala Chhangte, who joined Chennaiyin FC. Lallianzuala and Jerry were together at DSK from 2015-17 and also went to Liverpool for a week’s training. While they play on opposite flanks, they are scripting a brilliant success story—while forging different identities as players—for different clubs.
“Zuala and Jerry are similar in some ways but different players—one is left footed, and one is right. Maybe Jerry’s tactical understanding of football is better but Zuala has more ability in a one-on-one situation," says Josep Gombau, the current Odisha manager, who has coached both players.
The statistics mirror Gombau’s opinion: Lallianzuala has completed more than double the number of dribbles (16 to Jerry’s 7) this season compared to Jerry, but Jerry has 42 defensive actions (interceptions and tackles) to Lallianzuala’s 41. While these numbers are dictated by in-game situations, their team roles and playing styles, it is fair to say that they have both justified the faith of their managers in unique ways.
“With and without the ball, he’s doing a lot of good things. His positioning, his ability to get in behind the defensive line, his work at tracking back to help the defenders—these are all good things. His mentality is very good, you never see him not concentrating, he’s very humble, and these are some of the reasons you see him playing every week. But what I don’t want is for him to ever think that his job is done because at 22, he has a very long career ahead of him," Gombau says of Jerry.
While he’s a fine player in the making, an athlete’s personality goes a long way in shaping their future. And it is great credit to Jerry’s upbringing that he makes an impression, not just as a footballer, but even as a person: “When we took him to Liverpool, he was living with my family for a while, taking in the culture of the city and helping us babysit my youngest son," says Rogers. “My family took to him immediately and those few days are a standout example of Jerry—well mannered, and adapting."
Gombau says Jerry still needs to add more dimensions to his game—especially with his back to goal and decision making in big moments. But there have been more good moments than bad ones. “You get confidence when the team puts trust in you—especially to express yourself as a player. Automatically, you start enjoying what you do," says Jerry, fondly known as “Young Jerry" in the football world.
“I am actually older than the other Jerry (Jerry Lalrinzuala—who plays for Chennaiyin) so I am surprised why I am still called Young Jerry. Maybe because I have a younger-looking face."
Jerry Lalrinzuala and Lallianzuala have both represented India—but Odisha’s Jerry is still waiting for his first call-up to a national team camp. He has worked patiently in the meantime, not peaking too soon, not buckling under pressure, but waiting for his chances and getting better as a player every day. Most importantly, he has managed to keep the hype alive. And he’s living up to it as well.
Comments
Super Cup has been scrapped due to scheduling issues as per Mr Kushal Das of AIFF. So fewer matches for Indian Footballers.
Former Indian footballer P.K. Banerjee responding to treatment
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/football/pk-banerjee-footballer-treatment-hospital/article30627383.eceAll India Football Federation launches Football Masters Course
All India Football Federation, the apex governing body of football in India officially launched its Football Management Program with the signing of an MOU with Spanish La LigaSmartBankco-leaders Cadiz CF. This will enable students in the Program to study in three cities over the course of a year – New Delhi, Mumbai and Cadiz (Spain).
AIFF Masters provides students with complete hands-on experiential training on every aspect of football in India and abroad through live tournament exposure, match staging, clubs and team management, data management and analysis, leadership and project management skills, contractual and legal obligations, sponsorship marketing and business communication. This program will provide exemplary football managers to meet the needs of Indian football.
The multi-campus approach is set to ensure maximum exposure for the students to learn and develop within the different national and international eco-systems of the game.
Mr.Praful Patel, President, AIFF said, “Football is without any doubt the number one global sport and is growing very quickly in India. We felt that such a Program was much needed to help students understand the nuances and global practices involved in managing football not only in India but across the world. With the curriculum combining theoretical and practical knowledge, there will be a paradigm shift in football management in the country.”
Mr.Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF said, “The AIFF Masters Program will be the first to be conducted by any sports federation in India. It will give a structured insight into governance of world football as laid down in FIFA and AFC statutes and an understanding of the plethora of rules and regulations for managing football in India in line with best practices across the world including player status, regulations, competition regulations, terms of reference and functioning of standing and judicial committees, finance and budgetary control, integrity, anti-racism and anti-doping regulations.”
Mr. Enrique Perez, Corporate and Business Director, Cadiz Football Club added, “We are thrilled to open up the best practices of our club for the benefit of AIFF Masters students and give them the opportunity to learn how to successfully manage a Football Team and a Club with the highest standards in the world. Our team of managers, coaches, sports scientists, players and support staff are looking forward to sharing their knowledge and experience with the students over the course of one whole month!”
“We are excited to partner with this only one-of-its-kind National Sports Federation-led Football Management Program in the world and look at this being the Football bridge of excellence between India and Spain. It is a matter of pride for us that the Indian Football Team Coach, Mr. Igor Stimac, has played for Cadiz CF during his illustrious career,” said Mr. Manuel Vizcaino, President, Cadiz Football Club.
Key Features of AIFF Masters
- The program inculcates exclusive and rare learning insights in to the operations of a top European Football Club – Cadiz CF by giving students the opportunity to live and work in the Club for an entire month.
- A Common Admission Test ensures that every interested candidate has an equal opportunity to enroll in the limited seats on offer each year.
- Strong line-up of global football faculty to share their knowledge and experience
https://www.the-aiff.com/article/all-india-football-federation-launches-football-masters-courseClub together, Indian football’s new deal
Will this be open season for mergers and takeovers? And is this the only way clubs in the I League, now relegated to the second tier in the country behind the ISL and forever struggling for finances, survive?
https://www.hindustantimes.com/football/club-together-indian-football-s-new-deal/story-1Qoa9Jz1oiecQafy04JgaK.htmlRajasthan’s first football club sees success on debut
The club came to be because of the passion of two friends — Sohil Bhansali and Shubham Garg back in 2018.
In the Indian football ecosystem, one name that has never been heard is that of Rajasthan. Despite being the largest state, football has always shied away from making a mark there. Not anymore as Rajasthan FC has arrived and Monday was their first professional game. They played Lonestar Kashmir and won 2-0. But the result is just a sidenote. The fact that the desert state now finally has national representation and a professional football club is in itself a huge achievement.
The club came to be because of the passion of two friends — Sohil Bhansali and Shubham Garg back in 2018. “Both of us were football lovers and have played for the state. We used to conduct small leagues in cities like Jaipur, Varanasi, Delhi for young kids. But our ultimate goal was to form a professional club in our state,” CEO Sohil told this daily. With the help of the Rajasthan Football Association and AIFF, and AU Small Finance Bank, who came on board as title sponsors, the club came into existence on paper. “It was a great moment for us as well as for all involved. But obviously there were further obstacles to deal with.”
Playing in the second division of the I-League was a conscious decision on the part of the owners. But even for that, certain criteria had to be met. “Infrastructure-wise, we needed a stadium, we needed an academy set-up and obviously we had to be a part of the state league.”The club helped the state FA to organise the state league. For the academy, they tied up with Poornima University which lent them the residential wing as well as a training pitch. The club now has a residential set-up for the age groups of U-8, U-10, U-13, U-15 and U-18. But it was not without difficulty.
“The younger generation is passionate about the sport thanks to the internet. But for kids to actually enroll in a residential academy, the mentality of the older generation had to be changed.” The club tied up with a CBSE school nearby and now the kids not only play but also devote time to studies. This has slowly contributed to a change in mentality. Rajasthan FC also has a women’s team and there are plans to introduce a similar system for them in the future.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/football/top-stories/north-east-football-association-is-formed/articleshow/73986764.cms
Young Jerry makes an impression
When Jerry Mawihmingthanga was 16, he went for a trial held by the DSK Shivajians-Liverpool academy in Mizoram in the 2014-15 season. The coaches there noticed his potential and decided to watch him play for Chanmari FC against Chanmari West in the Mizoram Premier League (MPL) a few days later. Jerry came off the bench in that game. In a grainy video, he rides a couple of challenges expertly and chips the goalkeeper for a delightful goal. DSK’s coach Dave Rogers was in the stands and remembers turning to his assistant and saying: “That’s it. He has what it takes. He just needs the right environment. We are signing him."
Even though he’s just 22, Jerry since has had many moments that make one think he will make it big time. Quite apart from the standout matches in which he has scored—including the fastest goal in Indian Super League history (22.8 seconds, for Jamshedpur FC against Kerala Blasters in ISL 4 )—Jerry’s sheer pursuit of a football career was typified by his performance for the now defunct DSK Shivajians in a Federation Cup 2017 match against Bengaluru FC, and more specifically, against Sunil Chhetri.
Jerry, then 20, was asked by Dave Rogers to mark Chhetri out of the game. “If Sunil goes to the toilet, you mark him there too. Even wash his hands for him," were the instructions, as Rogers once told me.
It is fair to say that the way Jerry hounded Chhetri in that game is characteristic of his quest to keep getting better. Chhetri had to change his position thrice to find space, but Jerry just didn’t let him play. The match ended in a remarkable 2-0 win for DSK, at a time when their players had gone unpaid for months.
That afternoon, the players’ motivation to win was put to the test, and Jerry was exemplary.
“You could tell Jerry where you want him to play and he will do a decent job across the pitch, he is that clever. Which is why, against Sunil, he was so driven. He was like that every day in training as well. Tenacious, focused and hungry. I remember him knocking on my door every evening asking for extra drills and anything that can make him the best he can be," says Rogers, who holds a Uefa Pro Licence, and is in charge of Arizona FC in the US.
But Jerry was probably motivated much before Rogers brought out the best in him. “You know they used to make you write those essays in school, and one of the topics would be ‘what is your aim in life’? I always wrote about how I wanted to be a footballer. My Plan B was to join the army, but I always knew I would make it in football," he says. Jerry has started 14 of the 15 matches played by Odisha FC in the ongoing ISL 6.
He has already gathered two goals and four assists, has the most goal contributions among all Under-23 players in the ISL, and has created 18 chances for his team—second only to Spanish teammate Xisco Hernández, who has created 20.
This could very well be the year when he has his breakthrough season.
Odisha decided to sign him as a replacement for Lallianzuala Chhangte, who joined Chennaiyin FC. Lallianzuala and Jerry were together at DSK from 2015-17 and also went to Liverpool for a week’s training. While they play on opposite flanks, they are scripting a brilliant success story—while forging different identities as players—for different clubs.
“Zuala and Jerry are similar in some ways but different players—one is left footed, and one is right. Maybe Jerry’s tactical understanding of football is better but Zuala has more ability in a one-on-one situation," says Josep Gombau, the current Odisha manager, who has coached both players.
The statistics mirror Gombau’s opinion: Lallianzuala has completed more than double the number of dribbles (16 to Jerry’s 7) this season compared to Jerry, but Jerry has 42 defensive actions (interceptions and tackles) to Lallianzuala’s 41. While these numbers are dictated by in-game situations, their team roles and playing styles, it is fair to say that they have both justified the faith of their managers in unique ways.
“With and without the ball, he’s doing a lot of good things. His positioning, his ability to get in behind the defensive line, his work at tracking back to help the defenders—these are all good things. His mentality is very good, you never see him not concentrating, he’s very humble, and these are some of the reasons you see him playing every week. But what I don’t want is for him to ever think that his job is done because at 22, he has a very long career ahead of him," Gombau says of Jerry.
While he’s a fine player in the making, an athlete’s personality goes a long way in shaping their future. And it is great credit to Jerry’s upbringing that he makes an impression, not just as a footballer, but even as a person: “When we took him to Liverpool, he was living with my family for a while, taking in the culture of the city and helping us babysit my youngest son," says Rogers. “My family took to him immediately and those few days are a standout example of Jerry—well mannered, and adapting."
Gombau says Jerry still needs to add more dimensions to his game—especially with his back to goal and decision making in big moments. But there have been more good moments than bad ones. “You get confidence when the team puts trust in you—especially to express yourself as a player. Automatically, you start enjoying what you do," says Jerry, fondly known as “Young Jerry" in the football world.
“I am actually older than the other Jerry (Jerry Lalrinzuala—who plays for Chennaiyin) so I am surprised why I am still called Young Jerry. Maybe because I have a younger-looking face."
Jerry Lalrinzuala and Lallianzuala have both represented India—but Odisha’s Jerry is still waiting for his first call-up to a national team camp. He has worked patiently in the meantime, not peaking too soon, not buckling under pressure, but waiting for his chances and getting better as a player every day. Most importantly, he has managed to keep the hype alive. And he’s living up to it as well.