‘This is total incompetence’: Ranjit Bajaj slams AIFF after rejecting India U-15 team manager role

Indian football has found itself at the centre of another controversy after Minerva Academy owner Ranjit Bajaj declined his appointment as team manager of the India U-15 men's team, claiming the All India Football Federation (AIFF) never informed him before making the announcement.

On Wednesday, the AIFF named former India international Bibiano Fernandes as head coach of the India U-15 team, while Bajaj was appointed team manager.

The appointments come just over two months before the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival, which will be held in Azerbaijan from 22 to 31 October. 

However, Bajaj said he only learnt about his appointment through social media and received an official email from the AIFF several hours later.

“I found out first from social media. Everybody in the world knew about it except me,” Bajaj told Livemint.com in an exclusive interview.

He said he later received an email from the AIFF around 7 PM before calling Deputy Secretary General Satyanarayanan M to decline the role.

Bajaj, one of India's most prominent youth football administrators, criticised the federation for what he described as poor decision-making and a lack of planning.

"This is total incompetence and a total lack of empathy for the purpose of the game they are there for. The last thing they think about is the good of Indian football, and the only thing they should be thinking about is the good of the national team," he said.

He also alleged that the federation lacked "common sense" in handling key footballing decisions.

"If any logical person thinks about it, they'll reach the same conclusion. I've said repeatedly that I'm not a genius. It's just common sense. Unfortunately, that common sense seems to be missing in the AIFF.

“This isn't the first time. It's the same problem I've been talking about for years. They don't know how to run football, and that's what's happening with the national team,” he added.

Why won't Ranjit Bajaj take up the team manager job?

Explaining why he turned down the role, Bajaj said he and Fernandes have fundamentally different coaching philosophies, making it difficult for them to work together in the same set-up.

According to Bajaj, Fernandes prefers a more defensive style similar to José Mourinho's approach, while he advocates an aggressive, high-pressing game inspired by Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp.

“See, he plays a Jose Mourinho style, parking the bus, low block counter-attack. I play in your face, that Guardiola style high press, and even the Gegenpressing of Jurgen Klopp.

"That style that means pressing, and counter pressing, and putting relentless pressure. We are the ones who forced the mistake; they wait for the mistake to happen—two different styles," the 47-year-old explained.

Bajaj opined that the entire coaching team has to be on the same page, and that may not be the case if he teams up with Bibiano. However, Bajaj has fully backed Bibiano to take charge as head coach.

“I'm not saying that's bad. Half the world plays like that, but you can't put two people from this opposing side together and say, “Now work it, work it.”

"Then you're screwing me, and you're screwing him, but you don't realise, you're actually screwing India. If you send this team without a coach, it is better than sending him with both of us together.

"We will then do more damage to the team. Because the coaching team needs to be on the same page. Please give it to Bibiano. I will support him completely," he said.

Ranjit Bajaj also revealed that he called up Satyanarayanan M, the AIFF Deputy Secretary General, and informed him that the board should either back him or Bibiano Fernandes.

“I found out from the first from social media. Everybody in the world knew about it except me, but then I received an email from the AIFF in the evening, and that's when I got confirmation around 7 7.30 PM. Then I called up Satya (Satyanarayanan M, AIFF Deputy Secretary General).

“I told him I'm not a fan of Khichdi at all. Even though it's a very nice Indian dish, Khichdi is not a good fit for football, because you are putting two people with opposing playing styles. I said, " You please put him and let's all support him properly, or you put me and support me properly,” Bajaj elaborated.