Ranjit Bajaj slams AIFF over India U-15 coach appointment

Minerva Academy owner Ranjit Bajaj has launched a sharp attack on the All India Football Federation (AIFF), accusing the governing body of mismanaging the appointment process for the India U-15 football team ahead of the FIFA U-15 World Cup.

In a video shared on social media, Bajaj alleged that AIFF officials repeatedly changed their stance regarding his role and ignored his long-term vision for developing the national youth squad.

The controversy comes just days after AIFF appointed Bibiano Fernandes as India's U-15 head coach while assigning Bajaj an administrative team manager role.

Bajaj claims AIFF promised him coaching responsibility

According to Bajaj, AIFF Deputy Secretary General M. Satyanarayan initially informed him that he would be allowed to build his own coaching staff after Bibiano Fernandes reportedly declined the offer.

Bajaj said he was later interviewed by the AIFF Technical Committee, where he was questioned extensively about his coaching philosophy, vision and tactical plans.

He questioned why a coaching-style interview was conducted if AIFF only intended to offer him an administrative position.

"The Technical Committee interviews coaches, not managers. Then why was I interviewed about coaching philosophy?" Bajaj asked.

Confusion over Bibiano Fernandes' appointment

The controversy deepened after reports suggested Bibiano Fernandes had initially declined the position before eventually accepting it.

Bajaj claimed AIFF requested him to take charge as head coach during that period and later reversed its decision without clear communication.

He said the repeated changes reflected a lack of professionalism in the federation's decision-making process.

Bajaj criticises India's youth player selection system

One of Bajaj's biggest criticisms was directed at India's youth scouting process.

He claimed AIFF ignored his proposed 85-day nationwide scouting programme, which aimed to identify talented youngsters from across nearly 790 districts rather than selecting players primarily from elite academies and top clubs.

According to Bajaj, limiting selections to a handful of established teams prevents many deserving young footballers from receiving opportunities.

He argued that talented players exist across the country and deserve equal chances to represent India.

Administrative role 'not why I applied'

Bajaj also criticised the responsibilities assigned to him after his appointment as team manager.

According to him, AIFF limited his role to administrative duties such as:

• Managing player travel
• Overseeing accommodation
• Maintaining discipline
• Supervising meals
• Sending daily reports to AIFF

He said these responsibilities were not the reason he accepted the position and accused the federation of wasting an opportunity to improve Indian youth football.

AIFF yet to respond

As of now, AIFF has not issued an official response to Bajaj's latest allegations.

The controversy arrives at a crucial time as India prepares for the FIFA U-15 World Cup, raising fresh questions about transparency, planning and long-term player development within Indian football.