Bhaichung Bhutia resigns from AIFF technical committee over coach appointment process

Bhaichung Bhutia, former India captain, announced his resignation from the All India Football Federation's (AIFF) technical committee on Saturday.

Bhutia cited his dissatisfaction with the committee being bypassed in the recent appointment of the national men's team head coach.

On the same day, Spaniard Manolo Marquez, currently managing FC Goa in the Indian Super League, was appointed as the new head coach of the Indian national team.

Marquez replaced Croatian Igor Stimac, who was dismissed on June 17 following India's failure to progress in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Bhutia, attending the AIFF executive committee meeting, expressed his discontent and said “The technical committee traditionally recommends the head coach of the national team.”

The committee is presently led by former football star IM Vijayan.

"I have served as the chairman of the AIFF technical committee in the past and have been involved in appointing coaches like Stephen Constantine. This time, however, the committee was entirely excluded from the process," said Bhutia.

He explained that the committee did not hold any meetings to discuss potential candidates or to shortlist applicants.

Bhutia added, "If you are going to bypass the technical committee in the head coach appointment, why are we here?"

Bhutia criticized the formation of a special committee under AIFF Vice President NA Haris to select Stimac's successor, deeming it unnecessary given the existence of the technical committee.

AIFF acting Secretary General M Satyanarayan countered the claims, asserting that IM Vijayan was consulted in the decision-making process via video conference.

The technical committee includes members such as Shabir Ali, Climax Lawrence, Victor Amalraj, and Santosh Singh.

Despite the AIFF's stance, Bhutia's resignation highlighted ongoing tensions regarding the governance of Indian football.