The Indian football structure is set for a makeover, led by Arsene Wenger himself. The legendary Arsenal manager and current head of FIFA’s Global Football Development task force is expected to play an important part in India’s Vision 2047 plan to develop the footballing landscape in the country.
AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey has also held talks with senior FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) officials during the 2022 World Cup about the project.
Arsene Wenger to personally help develop Indian football
Wenger will oversee the redevelopment of the grassroots football level of India until 2026. This will be the first of the six four-year plans that the organisation has in place.
Women’s football will have a four-tier system with the Indian Women’s League having top spot, which consists of ten teams. The next levels will be the second division, five zonal leagues and a new women’s youth league to oversee development of the women’s game.
For the men, there are plans for a three-tier league system which will consist of the Indian Super League and the I-League having 14 teams each. It will also involve the second division of the I-League which will serve as the third tier, and will consist of 12 teams.
There are also plans for the AIFF to improve on the city and district level tournaments. They will be adjusted to feed into the state level championships. Moreover, there will also be a clear distinction between the youth leagues – alongside a system of promotion in place.
