Archive · 8 Aug 2026
Ranjit Bajaj Declines India U15 Manager Role, Slams AIFF
The All India Football Federation, called the AIFF for short, is in charge of football in India.
The AIFF picked two people to lead India's Under-15 football team for a big new tournament called the FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival.
Bibiano Fernandes would be the head coach, and Ranjit Bajaj would be the team manager.
But Bajaj said no to the job.
He thinks he and Bibiano play football in very different ways, like famous coaches Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.
He worried that putting their different ideas together would be a disaster for the team.
Bajaj was also upset that the AIFF announced his new job before telling him about it.
He found out on social media and had to call the officials himself to check if it was true.
Even so, he promised to support Bibiano and the Indian team fully.
The All India Football Federation appointed Ranjit Bajaj as team manager and Bibiano Fernandes as head coach of India's U15 side for the inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival.
Bajaj declined the role, calling the pairing of his high-pressing style with Fernandes' low-block counter-attacking approach 'preparation for disaster.'
He said he learned of his appointment through social media and only received official confirmation by email around 7 PM, before calling AIFF Deputy Secretary General Satyanarayanan M to decline.
Bajaj criticised the AIFF for 'total incompetence' and a lack of planning in handling the appointment.
He pledged full support to Fernandes, urging fans to back the head coach, saying loyalty to the team came above everything else.
- Who
- Ranjit Bajaj, founder of Minerva Academy; Bibiano Fernandes, head coach of India's U15 side; and the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
- What
- Ranjit Bajaj declined the AIFF's appointment as team manager of India's U15 team for the FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival, citing clashing footballing philosophies and a lack of official communication about his appointment.
- When
- The appointments were announced on Wednesday, with the AIFF's executive committee decision to appoint both men reported on Thursday; the tournament is scheduled for 22-31 October.
- Where
- India, in the context of the national U15 team; the FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival will be held in Azerbaijan.
- Why
- Bajaj believed combining his high-pressing style with Bibiano Fernandes' low-block counter-attacking approach was 'preparation for disaster,' and he was disappointed that the AIFF announced his appointment without informing him first.
Ranjit Bajaj's perspective
AIFF's approach
Combining coaching philosophies
Ranjit Bajaj's perspective
Pairing his high-pressing, Gegenpressing style with Bibiano Fernandes' low-block counter-attacking approach is 'preparation for disaster' for the U15 team.
AIFF's approach
The appointments of Bajaj and Bibiano, both influential in Indian youth football and grassroots development, were seen as a positive step for the country's youth-level program.
Communication of appointment
Ranjit Bajaj's perspective
Bajaj was not officially informed before the public announcement, learned of it on social media, and had to call AIFF officials to confirm the news.
AIFF's approach
The AIFF officially appointed Bajaj during its executive committee meeting and told him a formal letter would be sent.
- Organizations
- All India Football Federation (AIFF); FIFA
- Team
- India U15 national side
- Tournament
- Inaugural FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival, Azerbaijan, 22-31 October
- Head coach
- Bibiano Fernandes
- Team manager
- Ranjit Bajaj (appointed, then declined)
- Bajaj's affiliation
- Founder of Minerva Academy; aged 47
- Reason for withdrawal
- Clash of footballing philosophies and lack of prior official communication
- Tournament format
- 8-a-side, two 20-minute halves, 14-player squads, all 211 FIFA member associations
