Minerva Academy owner Ranjit Bajaj has rejected the All India Football Federation's proposal to appoint him as manager of the team in the upcoming FIFA U-15 World Cup festival. It comes after the AIFF Executive Committee voted in the past month to appoint Bajaj as manager and offer the role of head coach to experienced youth coach Bibiano Fernandes. But Bajaj’s quick rejection, as well as Bibiano’s pending acceptance, has cast a shadow over the national youth side heading into the tournament in Azerbaijan in October.
Bajaj was completely astonished when he learned of the federation's pairing strategy and was not shocked at the idea that two people with different tactical philosophies would be integrated into the same leadership core. As a manager, he would want to work with his own technical staff and the two sides at the same time, because if two sides were to come together, it would cause conflict in the country for the sake of the national team. Before the announcement, Bajaj had already been very generous and offered his own academy's coaching staff and top-tier training facilities to AIFF for free. Despite rejecting the chance to take on Bibiano, he wished him well for the new challenge.
The federation’s internal dynamics have also been under scrutiny following the appointments. A senior AIFF Executive Committee member said some members of the staff had openly questioned Bajaj’s appointment because he has openly criticized the federation’s leadership. But federation insiders have said that if Bajaj steps down from the position, the team will revert to the well-established formula with Bibiano at the helm and still be able to have the autonomy and support staff that the coach has historically relied on.
With the AIFF’s calendar heading towards the prestigious youth showcase in Azerbaijan to which it must be ready from October 22 to October 31, the AIFF needs to finalize its technical team and streamline preparations. So as structural questions remain, and key positions are not crystal clear, Indian football administrators must take action now to ensure the U-15 team is given stable leadership for the long run and a future international stage.
