Latest news with #WhoStoleMyFootball
Hans India
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Indian football has gone from bad to worse in last 24 months
New Delhi: Indian football has gone from bad to worse in the past 24 months and a new book that has recently hit the stands gives a blow by blow account of how the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its president Kalyan Chaubey allegedly lost the plot. Indian men's team's FIFA rankings has plummeted to a lowly 133, the worst in nine years, and the top tier Indian Super League's upcoming season which was supposed to start in a couple of months is still in a limbo as its organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and the AIFF are yet to renew the Masters Rights Agreement (MRA). In his book 'Who Stole My Football', renowned journalist Jaydeep Basu has given an insider's account of what he termed as a systemic breakdown of Indian football, including financial mismanagement, under Chaubey's stewardship. Basu had worked as AIFF's Media Director and has been privy to the developments in the organization which he has chronicled in detail. 'The entire professional structure of the AIFF secretariat suffered a breakdown since 2024. The laid down process of appointments was not followed in many instances,' Basu wrote in his book. According to Basu, the situation 'reached its lowest ebb after Anilkumar took over as the secretary general'. Anilkumar, who became AIFF Secretary General after Shaji Prabhakaran was sacked in November 2023, had to leave his post earlier this year after his appointment was stayed by the Delhi High Court. The book also gives detailed account of how ill-prepared Indian football team was when it played in the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023. The Indian football team played its first group match just hours after reaching the Games Village in Hangzhou as the AIFF was able to stitch a second-rung squad in the last minute. The team had failed to advance to the knock-out round. Chaubey's frosty relations with Croatian legend and former India head coach Igor Stimac also found mention in the book. 'Stimac was bitterly disappointed when Chaubey, without consulting the national coach, finalised India's participation in the Merdeka Cup in 2024 during FIFA international window.
NDTV
16-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Indian Football Mess: New Book Chronicles AIFF's Downward Spiral
Indian football has gone from bad to worse in the past 24 months and a new book that has recently hit the stands gives a blow by blow account of how the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its president Kalyan Chaubey allegedly lost the plot. Indian men's team's FIFA rankings has plummeted to a lowly 133, the worst in nine years, and the top tier Indian Super League's upcoming season which was supposed to start in a couple of months is still in a limbo as its organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) and the AIFF are yet to renew the Masters Rights Agreement (MRA). In his book 'Who Stole My Football', renowned journalist Jaydeep Basu has given an insider's account of what he termed as a systemic breakdown of Indian football, including financial mismanagement, under Chaubey's stewardship. Basu had worked as AIFF's Media Director and has been privy to the developments in the organization which he has chronicled in detail. "The entire professional structure of the AIFF secretariat suffered a breakdown since 2024. The laid down process of appointments was not followed in many instances," Basu wrote in his book. According to Basu, the situation "reached its lowest ebb after Anilkumar took over as the secretary general". Anilkumar, who became AIFF Secretary General after Shaji Prabhakaran was sacked in November 2023, had to leave his post earlier this year after his appointment was stayed by the Delhi High Court. The book also gives detailed account of how ill-prepared Indian football team was when it played in the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023. The Indian football team played its first group match just hours after reaching the Games Village in Hangzhou as the AIFF was able to stitch a second-rung squad in the last minute. The team had failed to advance to the knock-out round. Chaubey's frosty relations with Croatian legend and former India head coach Igor Stimac also found mention in the book. "Stimac was bitterly disappointed when Chaubey, without consulting the national coach, finalised India's participation in the Merdeka Cup in 2024 during FIFA international window. "Stimac's biggest complaint was that he never had a chance to explain his side of the story and his plans with the national team because he was hardly given an audience," he wrote in the book. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Business Standard
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
From hope to havoc: How AIFF is derailing Indian football's future
Indian football appears to be spiraling deeper into disarray with disappointing results from the Blue Tigers to the interruption in normal functioning of the Indian Super League's new season. News revolving the Indian football scenario is also best described in the new book released recently lays bare the root causes behind the sport's decline in the country. The book, titled Who Stole My Football, penned by veteran journalist Jaydeep Basu, provides an insider's view of how the All India Football Federation (AIFF), under the leadership of president Kalyan Chaubey, has allegedly failed to steer the sport in the right direction. India's ranking on an all-time low Over the past two years, India's men's national football team has seen a dramatic fall in the FIFA rankings, currently slipping to 133, the lowest it has been in nearly a decade. Meanwhile, the Indian Super League (ISL), the nation's premier football competition, is in limbo. The 2025-26 season remains on hold due to an unresolved Master Rights Agreement (MRA) between the AIFF and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the body responsible for organizing the league. Basu, who formerly served as AIFF's Media Director, draws from firsthand experiences in the federation to highlight a "collapse of professionalism" and "repeated breaches of protocol" that began worsening in 2024. According to the book, critical appointments were made without following proper procedures, leading to a dysfunctional administrative structure. He particularly points to the controversial appointment of Anil kumar as Secretary General, following the dismissal of Shaji Prabhakaran in late 2023. Anilkumar's tenure was short-lived, with the Delhi High Court later staying his appointment, plunging the federation further into crisis. The book also shines a light on India's chaotic participation in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. According to Basu, the national team was hastily assembled at the last minute, reaching the Games Village only hours before their opening match. Unsurprisingly, the squad failed to make it past the group stage. Clashes with former coach Igor Stimac Another contentious issue covered in the book is Chaubey's strained relationship with former national team coach Igor Stimac. Basu recounts an incident where Chaubey allegedly confirmed India's participation in the 2024 Merdeka Cup during a FIFA international window without consulting Stimac. The Croatian coach, as described in the book, was frustrated by being excluded from key decision-making processes and was denied the opportunity to present his long-term vision for the team. Who Stole My Football portrays a troubled picture of Indian football's leadership, detailing a series of missteps and administrative failures that have pushed the sport into an unprecedented state of uncertainty. India under new manager Manolo Marquez India's national football team has managed only one win in its last eight outings under coach Igor Marquez, with the sole victory coming against the Maldives in March. In 2025 alone, the team has played four matches, securing one win, one draw, and suffering two defeats. These disappointing results led to the comeback of legendary striker and former captain Sunil Chhetri. However, his return has had minimal impact on reversing the team's fortunes. India's next international fixture is an away clash against Singapore in October, as part of the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers. Indian football team rankings over the years (Men) Year Highest rank Worst rank 2025 127 133 2024 117 127 2023 99 102 2022 104 106 2021 104 107 2020 104 109 2019 101 108 2018 96 102 2017 96 132 2016 135 163 2015 141 173 2014 145 171 2013 143 167 2012 154 169 2011 144 163 2010 130 160 2009 134 156 2008 143 154 2007 143 165 2006 117 157 2005 127 135 2004 132 143 2003 122 133 2002 120 130 2001 113 124 2000 106 122 1999 106 116 1998 110 127 1997 109 121 1996 94 124 1995 111 121 1994 101 113 1993 99 129 1992 143 143 (with PTI inputs)
News18
16-07-2025
- Sport
- News18
Insider's Account On Indian Football: 'AIFF's Professional Structure Suffered..'
Last Updated: The book chronicles Indian football's decline under AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, with the men's FIFA ranking falling to 133. Indian football has deteriorated significantly over the past two years. A new book provides a detailed account of how the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its president, Kalyan Chaubey, allegedly lost their way. The Indian men's team's FIFA ranking has sunk to a dismal 133, its worst in nine years. The upcoming season of the top-tier, which was expected to start in a couple of months, remains uncertain. In his book 'Who Stole My Football', renowned journalist Jaydeep Basu offers an insider's perspective on what he describes as a systemic breakdown of Indian football, including financial mismanagement under Chaubey's leadership. Basu, who previously served as AIFF's Media Director, has closely witnessed the developments within the organisation, which he meticulously documents. 'The entire professional structure of the AIFF secretariat suffered a breakdown since 2024. The laid down process of appointments was not followed in many instances," Basu writes in his book. According to Basu, the situation 'reached its lowest ebb after Anilkumar took over as the secretary general". Anilkumar, who succeeded Shaji Prabhakaran as AIFF Secretary General after Prabhakaran was dismissed in November 2023, had to vacate his position earlier this year following a Delhi High Court stay on his appointment. The book also details the Indian football team's unpreparedness for the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2023. The Indian team played its first group match only hours after arriving at the Games Village in Hangzhou, as the AIFF managed to assemble a second-string squad at the last minute. The team failed to advance to the knockout stage. What is Wrong With Indian Football? Chaubey's strained relations with Croatian legend and former India head coach Igor Stimac are also highlighted in the book. 'Stimac was bitterly disappointed when Chaubey, without consulting the national coach, finalised India's participation in the Merdeka Cup in 2024 during FIFA international window." 'Stimac's biggest complaint was that he never had a chance to explain his side of the story and his plans with the national team because he was hardly given an audience," Basu writes in the book. view comments First Published: July 16, 2025, 16:09 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India Gazette
12-07-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
An insider's tale into current affairs of Indian football
New Delhi [India], July 12 (ANI): Books on Indian football are far and few, as few as the successes of the Indian National Team in the international arena. Though one of the most followed sports, football has suffered a series of setbacks in India and has reached an all-time low, chiefly because of administrative lapses. Once the champions of Asia, the Indian men's National Team are now ranked 133 in the FIFA rankings and stand 24th in Asia. Veteran journalist Jaydeep Basu, in his latest book, 'Who Stole My Football', has given a fascinating account of the reasons behind the rapid downfall of Indian football since September 2022. As the name of the book suggests, Basu has clearly blamed the officials who have run the All India Football Federation for the past three years. According to the writer, the AIFF President, Kalyan Chaubey, and his executive committee are responsible for the current mess of Indian football administration, which has seen frequent changes of secretary generals and national coaches since September 2022. Basu has given a detailed account of how poorly the AIFF handled the senior men's national team, which resulted in its poor performance, and how Croatian coach Igor Stimac was sacked without following proper procedure. The writer argued that the unprofessional termination of Stimac cost the AIFF more than Rs. three crores as compensation after the Croatian coach threatened to complain to the world body, FIFA. The book has also dealt with the allegations of financial mismanagement that have hit the AIFF during Chaubey's regime. The writer has quoted in detail the letters written by more than one person closely associated with the game and has also chronicled Chaubey's rebuttals. According to him, the entire episode has left the Indian football community deeply disturbed. Spread over 130 pages, overall, the book is an interesting read, and Basu, like a journalist, has remained true to the picture he aimed to portray with quotes and versions from all the important football officials. As his writing style is absorbing and pacy, the followers of Indian football will definitely like to read it.(ANI)
