AIFF adopt new constitution in special general body meeting amidst suspense over multiple clauses

The new AIFF constitution has been adopted before the FIFA deadline.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have finally adopted the new constitution, which marks the end of the chaos that engulfed Indian Football for years. The federation completed this process in a special general body meeting convened earlier today. However, the saga is not completely over as some of the clauses are still under discussion in the Supreme Court.

Earlier last month, the apex court had asked the federation to complete the process within a month. Sticking to the timeline given by the court, AIFF have put a stamp on the draft constitution, which has been in the making for quite some time.

Contention over Articles 23, 25 remain

The adoption and finalization of the draft constitution is a major development that would shift things in Indian Football and nudge it in the positive direction. There is now no ambiguity regarding the authority the federation has and the operational framework it will follow.

However, in Indian Football, it is not over until it is over. The federation approached the Supreme Court again to seek elucidation on two clauses of the Constitution. Articles 23.3 and 25 are the provisions that have kept the suspense alive. Article 23.3 prohibits the federation from making any amendment to the constitution without the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Article 25 bars the members of AIFF from holding offices in state federations. The objection to this provision has been sharp from the office bearers of the federation. The Supreme Court has made it clear regarding Article 23.3 that it does not intend to control the matters of the federation. With regards to Article 25, it has asked for Justice L Nageswara Rao’s consultation.

Also Read: AIFF approaches Supreme Court again; ambiguity remains over clauses in draft constitution

FIFA ban not in question anymore

With the adoption of the new constitution, AIFF have avoided the possibility of a FIFA ban based on the deadline that was fixed for the adoption. Additionally, if the communication between the AIFF and FIFA is transparent over Article 23.3 and the intent behind the provision, the ban is completely out of question.

Earlier, the global governing body had asked AIFF to finalise the constitution before October 30, 2025. The failure to do so would have irked FIFA and attracted a ban for the second time. Indian Football has already faced a ban in 2022 for ‘third-party interference”.

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