AFC vice-president Manilal Fernando, who was in Delhi earlier in the week, told IANS from Colombo on Thursday that the AIFF is as much to blame for the clubs not falling in line. “It is three years and I-League is still run like a provincial league, failing to meet professional norms. If the clubs don’t fulfill the guidelines this time, the AIFF will be punished,” he said.
The AIFF has set August 31 as the deadline for all the I-League clubs to meet the AFC licensing criteria.
“I have informed (AIFF general secretary) Alberto, that if India wants to run a professional league as an AFC affiliate then it has to implement its guidelines or face the consequences,” Fernando added.
Published 27 August 2009, 17:03 IST