New Delhi: Club Licensing stays on the minds of every I-League Club prior to the kick-off of the 2013-14 Season of the I-League. The Indian Club Licensing System which has been stressed upon by All India Football Federation has seen all I-League Clubs cooperating in the best possible manner.
All India Football Federation started the process in January 2013 to implement Indian Club Licensing for the first time. This included an inspection of all the Clubs later in May and June when a five-member Team including National Coach Wim Koevermans visited the I-League Clubs.
With less than two-months left for the kick-off of the I-League, Chirag Tanna, Pune FC, Head Operations, feels it’s important for all Clubs to fulfill “the Licensing Criteria.”
His view was endorsed by Raj Gomes, General Secretary, Salgaocar SC. “Club Licensing is extremely important to take Indian Football forward and to the next level for which Club Licensing has to be adhered to. This has to be carried out in a phased manner in order to implement the same in totality,” he opined to www.the-aiff.com.
Furthermore Tanna pronounces: “As Indian Football evolves, we have seen the evolution of the Participants, from Domestic Teams to Domestic Clubs. The First Team is an integral part of the Club, but the ecosystem of a Club includes a lot more than the squad of 30 players.”
“The Club includes a proper Youth Development set up and a robust Back Office set up. The Back Office includes various Departments like Accounts, Media, Marketing, Administration and Legal,” he states.
Gomes complements Tanna. “Club Licensing in India will definitely bring about professionalism in Indian Football and set high standards with respect to match competition,” he maintains.
Meeting the Licensing Criteria stays one of the recent challenges for Indian Football. But the Clubs are taking it very seriously. “We have taken this very seriously and are making all efforts to fulfill all the Criteria. However, some of the Criteria which are time consuming are being addressed and will certainly be met in time to come,” Gomes quips.
Tanna agrees. “In my opinion, the Indian Club Licensing Criteria could have been implemented in a phased out manner. Currently, the I-League Club Licensing Criteria is more exhaustive than the AFC Club Licensing Criteria.”
“That being said, the AIFF has been kind enough to permit Clubs an opportunity to appeal and get exemption in the 2013-14 season. I am confident, given the additional time, all Clubs will fulfill the criteria and will have their Licensing Documents in place for the 2014-15 Season,” he declares.
Explaining it further, the Pune FC boss says: “The Criteria are earmarked as ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’. Grade ‘A’ Criteria are the Criteria that must be fulfilled without which you will not get the License; non-fulfillment of Grade ‘B’ Criteria means the Club would get fined but the License will be issued, Grade ‘C’ Criteria are best practices.”
“We have tried to fulfill as many of the Criteria as possible. However, some ‘B’ and ‘C’ Criteria are difficult to fulfill in the first season. We are confident that we will fulfill the same in time to come,” Tanna concludes.
The final report card will be out on August 2, 2013 when the Club Licensing Committee will meet to decide the fate of the 14 License Applicant Clubs.
