November 2 – FIFA says it is waiting for information over a Delhi High Court ruling which has booted out the Indian football federation’s (AIFF) Praful Patel as the body’s president.
Only last week, Patel was sitting alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino brimming with pride as he took centre over the success of the under-17 World Cup.
The ruling to set aside Patel’s election for a third term because of alleged election irregularities came only three days after the under-17 final. Also deposed were general secretary Kushal Das and senior vice-president Subrata Dutta.
FIFA statutes declare that member federations must be free from legal and political interference in their respective countries and has suspended other national associations in the past in similar cases.
In an emailed statement, FIFA said it was “awaiting an official communication from the AIFF.”
Patel’s removal is an embarrassment not only for India but also for FIFA and Asia since he is a vice-president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and is on FIFA’s finance committee.
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