Ranjit Bajaj Rejects India U-15 Role

Indian football is in the spotlight again after Ranjit Bajaj, owner of Minerva Academy, turned down his appointment as team manager for the India U-15 men’s team. He criticized the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for not informing him about the role before announcing it publicly.

The AIFF recently named Bibiano Fernandes as head coach and appointed Bajaj as team manager for the upcoming FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival in Azerbaijan. However, Bajaj claims he first learned of his appointment through social media, not from the AIFF. He later received a confirmation email but decided to decline the role during a call with AIFF officials.

Bajaj accused the AIFF of poor decision-making and lack of planning, calling it “total incompetence.” He also highlighted differences in coaching philosophies between himself and Fernandes. Bajaj favors an aggressive, high-pressing style, while Fernandes prefers a more defensive approach. These opposing methods, he argued, would make collaboration difficult.

Despite his criticism, Bajaj fully supported Fernandes as head coach. He urged the AIFF to choose one leader for the team and provide full backing, warning that conflicting styles could harm the team’s performance.