Name: AIFF XI
Home Stadium: Ambedkar Stadium, New Delhi
Highest I-League Finish: To debut in 2010-2011
AIFF XI, formed in 2010, will be India’s youngest club to play the nation’s top tier of professional football, ie, The I-League. Following the disbandment of Mahindra United, AIFF-XI directly enters the I-league as a new professional club operating out of Delhi. AIFF XI is the result of an initiative taken by the National Federation in order to identify, groom and provide competitive football to young stars with the motive to prepare them for the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign beginning 2015. Come December 3 and they will play their first I-League match against Chirag United in Kolkata.
New Signings……
The federation directly recruits all the U-21 players with a four year contract to play for the new entity. In the process they might have violated contractual agreements that the youngsters may have had with other clubs but everything seems to have settled now.
Players to Watch Out For…….
Gurpreet Singh (GK): A product of Chandigarh Football Academy, Gurpreet has been very instrumental beneath the bar. He represented India in the AFC U-17 held in Taskent and has been a regular with the U-19 team. He was also signed by East Bengal and won few matches for them before AIFF rope him in. His Omni-presence under the bar makes him an asset for the AIFF XI.
Jibon Singh (MF): Former East Bengal midfielder from Manipur, Jibon Singh represented India U-23 in the SAFF Cup 2009. His ability to pass accurately makes him stand out among the lot and that makes him a good mid fielder who can distribute the ball well. He scored a goal in India’s 4-1 win over Singapore in the Guangzhou Asiad.
Jeje Lalpekhlua (F): A natural striker with great agility, this lad from Mizoram is the captain of the team and is considered to be the key man for the club. He was instrumental in the SAFF Cup win in 2009. He led Indian U-19 team to south Asian games in Sri Lanka where he scored a hat-trick against Pakistan in the 5-1 win.
Coach:
A man with loads of experience behind him, Desmond Bulpin took the charge of AIFF XI not just to guide them through the I-League but to develop them as world class player. 59-year-old Bulpin has more than 25 years of coaching experience at the top level. A former coach at Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur, Bulpin was in charge of the Philippines national team before his move to India. He also had a stint with top Singapore side Tampine Rovers. He oversaw the development of International footballers like Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch.
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