What's the story?
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is reportedly preparing an ambitious plan for the current under-17 squad. They are mulling the idea of having the under-17 team take part in a under-18 or under-19, second or third division European league for at least two seasons after the World Cup.
Inspired by their Chinese counterparts, who have made their under-20 team join the fourth division of the German Bundesliga, the AIFF has held talks with a couple of federations, one of them being Portugal.
According to a report in The Indian Express, AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said, “The idea is to make the team play in the second or third division of a reputed European under-18 or under-19 league for at least two years. If it works out the way we have planned, it will really help player development.”
In case you didn't know...
The India under-17 team has traveled extensively across Europe as a part of their exposure tours ahead of the under-17 World Cup to be held between 6th October and 28th October, 2017. Their performance has been pretty commendable, and more importantly, they have gained experience by playing against sides like SLC Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and Parma.
The heart of the matter
According to Das, the AIFF is trying to confirm their plans by the time the World Cup concludes so as to continue the team's overall development programme.
The report further claimed that although informal talks had already been held with at least two federations, no formal proposal has been made as of yet. If a proposal is accepted by any federation, the AIFF has plans of sending a 25 member squad plus the support staff.
The Chinese have a five-year deal with Germany which will help the development of the Chinese footballers while also giving greater access to Germany’s burgeoning market. The AIFF, however, is looking at a two or three-year deal.
What's next?
The AIFF has reached out to FIFA to discuss the possibility of hosting the under-20 World Cup in 2019. They also have plans of bidding for the 2023 Asian Cup.
Author's take
Things are indeed looking on the up for football in the country. A couple of years of playing in a top European league will do a lot of good for the youngsters. However, their current focus should be on the upcoming U-17 World Cup.
