AIFF panel member not happy with U-17 coach selection process

The process of selection of the Indian team head coach for the upcoming U-17 football World Cup has not gone down well with a few members of the committee tasked to make the recommendation as they felt "bypassed" by the national federation.

The All India Football Federation has named Portuguese Luis Norton de Matos as its "number one choice" to succeed Nicolai Adam who was sacked earlier this month following complaints of physical and verbal abuse by the players.

De Matos is set to come to India either on February 27 or 28 to meet AIFF President Praful Patel and Sports Secretary Injeti Srinivas to chalk out his contract details.

But a member of the special committee constituted by the AIFF to recommend the coach has alleged that the national federation has bypassed the panel in naming de Matos as the "number one choice".

"We have never recommended any coach as number one choice. AIFF has bypassed the special committee constituted by the president to select the coach of India U-17 team," a member of the special committee told

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)