AIFF Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran removed amid controversy

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is in the midst of a major shakeup as Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran has been removed from his position, leading to a major controversy and allegations of conspiracy. The decision was reportedly sanctioned by AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and is set to be approved by the federation's executive committee today.

This abrupt and contentious decision came as a surprise to the Indian football community.

Shaji Prabhakaran, who had been serving as the Secretary General of AIFF since September 2022, raised concerns over the validity of his termination, stating that the AIFF constitution mandates that only the Executive Committee has the authority to dismiss or terminate the General Secretary. He strongly hinted at a possible conspiracy behind his removal, which he claimed to be unable to comprehend.

In a letter addressed to the AIFF Executive Committee, Shaji wrote, "I must say that there must be some conspiracy behind this decision, which I am not able to understand. I must say, this is a totally irresponsible decision at a time when AIFF governance matter is still under discussion and scrutiny across. I have worked with 100% honesty, and I have not made any decision that was bad for football in India, and it is the fact that I didn’t interfere in the decision of the Judicial Bodies for which I was pressurised."

The rift between Chaubey and Shaji had been evident since June when reports emerged that the AIFF committee, led by Chaubey, had taken steps to limit the powers and decision-making independence of the Secretary General.

According to reports, a high-level core committee was established under Chaubey's leadership, with key figures including NA Haris as Chairman, Avijit Paul as Deputy Chairman, and members Tetea Hmar, Mulrajsinh Chudasama, and Vijay Bali.

Deputy Secretary General Satyanarayan M, appointed by the core committee, is speculated to be the probable successor of Shaji for the SG post.