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Comment: Unravelling Plan B Of Goal 2011
If you thought that all the talk about Goal 2011 Project had gone under the carpet, then you are up for a surprise. The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has passed a notice to all the clubs stating that they have to choose either Plan A or B. Goal.com ponders on the same...
15-Apr-2009 8:06:34 PM
The ambitious project first came to
light in March when the Indian FA proposed to snap 25 players under their
umbrella and keep them for a period of two years in preparation for the 2011
Asian Cup, Qatar.
The latest letter by the AIFF starts by stating the importance of India’s qualification to the esteemed Asian competition.‘The credit goes to the chief coach, supporting staff and the players’.
It further defines the two Asian competitions – AFC Challenge Cup, which is for the second level teams, and the Asian Cup for those amongst the top 16. India’s qualification for the elite event makes it imperative for them to give their best and compete at the top level.
The National Team Development Programme is discussed which is termed as a long term project as it aims to help India to be in the top 10 footballing nations by 2018. This is by the virtue of age group teams, which shall act as a constant supply chain to the national team.
With the national’s team qualification in the Asian Cup in mind, it’s the responsibility of the AIFF to come up with a strong and well-prepared plan titled ‘Goal 2011’.
Thereafter, it talks about the two plans:
a) From 1st July ’09 up to 31st January ’11. Number of players – 25. The national team shall play practice games and participate in some tournaments. Total number of games to be played : 60. The I-League shall continue without these 25 players.
b) From 1st June ’10 to 31st January ’11. Number of Players – 25. The national team shall play 25 games, which shall include practice and participation in some competition. Herein, the I-League shall be interrupted and resume from 1st February 2011.
Other players, apart from the 25 shall play in the local leagues and other tournaments states the letter towards the end.
We have discussed the pros and cons of Plan A at length last month. Plan B once again throws up a lot of questions.
To start with, the very idea of not letting the national team players remain with the clubs is to some extent belittling them. As Dempo SC coach Armando Colaco had pointed that the AFC Challenge Cup triumph isn’t down to ‘one man’; clearly hinting at coach Bob Houghton.
The players did well due to a good training and performance at the club level. If one doesn’t believe in the country’s top league and doesn’t trust the clubs enough at a time when they are making waves in the Asian competitions, then something is wrong somewhere.
To claim that clubs in India use age-old techniques of coaching and training is a bit harsh as most of the coaches, especially in the I-League, do have good methods if not the most modern ones. If you see the current Indian squad, the players are from Dempo, East Bengal, Mahindra United, Mohun Bagan, JCT, Churchill Brothers and Mumbai FC; three of whom have foreign coaches while the others have some of the experienced or ones holding the AFC Pro Licence.
The other angle is, if the I-League and Federation Cup are suspended for a period of eight months then the clubs would be at loss as they would have to maintain their squads and the value for the same wouldn’t be much. Of course, they would play in tournaments like the Durand, IFA Shield and the local league but not of the same calibre as the I-League. Thereafter, when the I-League resumes on the 1st February ’11, it would be in fast forward as the league would have to come to a close by May, as the weather won’t be apt later on.
In the 2010-11 season, the I-League will comprise of 16 teams, some of which do not hail from the regular centers like Bengal and Goa. It directly translates into more travelling.
Some of the club officials have come out with a novel plan to brush aside Indian FA’s Plan B. At the start of the 2010-11 season they will hike the salaries of the 25 players and as per the plan the AIFF would have to pay for eight months of the contract. The clubs can continue paying the player what he currently gets for the next four months, which puts the AIFF in a fix.
To explain this, here is an example. Supposing a player earns Rs. 25 lakhs from a club for a season. Since the club would only avail the player’s services for four months and in their bid to foil AIFF’s plans, they can hike the player’s contract to Rs. 1 crore. The Indian FA will pay around 70% money to the player as per the Plan B while the club can continue to have the player for the original amount. It’s a win-win situation for the clubs and the players in this case.
Further, with all the talk going around about several Indian stars moving to MLS, Scandinavian nations (and God knows where not!); if some of these players do manage to get a contract abroad then the foreign clubs are unlikely to release them for a period of eight or nineteen months. And if the AIFF still selects that player for the main tournament then it would be an insult to the I-League clubs.
Would those players who have achieved their dream of moving abroad want to come for AIFF’s national camp? Certainly not, though they may claim to do so at the present moment. And would the AIFF have the kind of money to reimburse those players playing abroad?
Wait for the meeting on 17th at the AIFF House and we shall hopefully have the answers to the above discussed issues.
Rahul Bali.
The latest letter by the AIFF starts by stating the importance of India’s qualification to the esteemed Asian competition.‘The credit goes to the chief coach, supporting staff and the players’.
It further defines the two Asian competitions – AFC Challenge Cup, which is for the second level teams, and the Asian Cup for those amongst the top 16. India’s qualification for the elite event makes it imperative for them to give their best and compete at the top level.
The National Team Development Programme is discussed which is termed as a long term project as it aims to help India to be in the top 10 footballing nations by 2018. This is by the virtue of age group teams, which shall act as a constant supply chain to the national team.
With the national’s team qualification in the Asian Cup in mind, it’s the responsibility of the AIFF to come up with a strong and well-prepared plan titled ‘Goal 2011’.
Thereafter, it talks about the two plans:
a) From 1st July ’09 up to 31st January ’11. Number of players – 25. The national team shall play practice games and participate in some tournaments. Total number of games to be played : 60. The I-League shall continue without these 25 players.
b) From 1st June ’10 to 31st January ’11. Number of Players – 25. The national team shall play 25 games, which shall include practice and participation in some competition. Herein, the I-League shall be interrupted and resume from 1st February 2011.
Other players, apart from the 25 shall play in the local leagues and other tournaments states the letter towards the end.
We have discussed the pros and cons of Plan A at length last month. Plan B once again throws up a lot of questions.
To start with, the very idea of not letting the national team players remain with the clubs is to some extent belittling them. As Dempo SC coach Armando Colaco had pointed that the AFC Challenge Cup triumph isn’t down to ‘one man’; clearly hinting at coach Bob Houghton.
The players did well due to a good training and performance at the club level. If one doesn’t believe in the country’s top league and doesn’t trust the clubs enough at a time when they are making waves in the Asian competitions, then something is wrong somewhere.
To claim that clubs in India use age-old techniques of coaching and training is a bit harsh as most of the coaches, especially in the I-League, do have good methods if not the most modern ones. If you see the current Indian squad, the players are from Dempo, East Bengal, Mahindra United, Mohun Bagan, JCT, Churchill Brothers and Mumbai FC; three of whom have foreign coaches while the others have some of the experienced or ones holding the AFC Pro Licence.
The other angle is, if the I-League and Federation Cup are suspended for a period of eight months then the clubs would be at loss as they would have to maintain their squads and the value for the same wouldn’t be much. Of course, they would play in tournaments like the Durand, IFA Shield and the local league but not of the same calibre as the I-League. Thereafter, when the I-League resumes on the 1st February ’11, it would be in fast forward as the league would have to come to a close by May, as the weather won’t be apt later on.
In the 2010-11 season, the I-League will comprise of 16 teams, some of which do not hail from the regular centers like Bengal and Goa. It directly translates into more travelling.
Some of the club officials have come out with a novel plan to brush aside Indian FA’s Plan B. At the start of the 2010-11 season they will hike the salaries of the 25 players and as per the plan the AIFF would have to pay for eight months of the contract. The clubs can continue paying the player what he currently gets for the next four months, which puts the AIFF in a fix.
To explain this, here is an example. Supposing a player earns Rs. 25 lakhs from a club for a season. Since the club would only avail the player’s services for four months and in their bid to foil AIFF’s plans, they can hike the player’s contract to Rs. 1 crore. The Indian FA will pay around 70% money to the player as per the Plan B while the club can continue to have the player for the original amount. It’s a win-win situation for the clubs and the players in this case.
Further, with all the talk going around about several Indian stars moving to MLS, Scandinavian nations (and God knows where not!); if some of these players do manage to get a contract abroad then the foreign clubs are unlikely to release them for a period of eight or nineteen months. And if the AIFF still selects that player for the main tournament then it would be an insult to the I-League clubs.
Would those players who have achieved their dream of moving abroad want to come for AIFF’s national camp? Certainly not, though they may claim to do so at the present moment. And would the AIFF have the kind of money to reimburse those players playing abroad?
Wait for the meeting on 17th at the AIFF House and we shall hopefully have the answers to the above discussed issues.
Rahul Bali.
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