India not bidding for 2015 and 2016 FIFA Club World Cups

New Delhi: India has pulled out of mounting a bid for 2015 and 2016 FIFA Club World Cups, according to All India Football Federation officials. A decision on the host city of the 2015 and 2016 editions of Club World Cup will be taken in Morocco next month.

Morocco has hosted the 2013 edition and it is hosting the tournament next year again. With India hosting the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in 2017, it was thought feasible for the country to host the 2015 and 2016 Club World Cups, as the eight-match club tournament would need just two world-class venues.

But now, the AIFF has abandoned the idea of bidding for the top club tournament of the FIFA though it had officially expressed its desire to host the event. The Club World Cup bid is normally done for two consecutive editions.

AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said that India's hopes of hosting the tournament have hit roadblocks due to "infrastructural difficulties" and world football body FIFA's commercial commitments.

"FIFA has some commercial commitments and there are infrastructural difficulties also. So, it is difficult for India to host the Club World Cup now," Das said after signing an agreement with Brazilian top division side Atletico Paranaense for a technical tie up for the development of Indian team for the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

Another official said that the AIFF did not submit the bid although it had sent the expression of interest initially. "The AIFF had expressed its desire to host the 2015 and 2016 Club World Cups but later did not submit the bid. Besides other issues, there is the requirement of submitting a huge amount of security money at the time of bidding. So, it has been dropped," the official said.

Das also said that a new men's senior national team coach is expected to be finalised next month. "The appointment of the senior team coach is under process and the name may be finalised next month," he said.

The coach for the Under-17 national team is also likely to be named next month. Das also said that the ongoing Hero Indian Super League has exceeded the expectations of the federation.

"The ISL has exceeded our expectation. The large number of crowd turning up for each match has been amazing. The quality of football has been good." he said.