Former Andhra Football Chief Criticizes AIFF Leadership and Political Interference

Concerns Raised Over Football Administration in Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 25: Gopala Krishna Kosaraju, who previously served as the president of the Andhra Pradesh Football Association, has voiced strong criticism against the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and its president, Kalyan Chaubey. He accused them of fostering political meddling and creating rifts within the football governance in the region.

Kosaraju pointed out that the involvement of political figures in sports organizations has hindered the advancement of football in Andhra Pradesh. He expressed concerns that the promotion of parallel organizations has resulted in confusion and a setback in the sport's growth.

“We were elected for the term 2019 to 2023 and successfully introduced a League club to Visakhapatnam in 2021. We also backed Indian football icon Bhaichung Bhutia to run for the AIFF presidency in September 2022. Unfortunately, he lost to Kalyan Chaubey, and that marked the beginning of our troubles,” he stated.

He further elaborated that after Chaubey's election, he and his team began supporting a Member of Parliament, Kotagiri Sridhar, who established the 'Andhra Pradesh Football Federation' with its office in Eluru. This new federation, according to Kosaraju, has been backed by Chaubey and his associates.

Kosaraju's remarks highlight what he perceives as a pivotal moment for football in Andhra Pradesh following the 2022 AIFF elections, where Bhutia's defeat led to the rise of a competing organization under Sridhar, which he believes has fragmented the local football landscape.

In 2022, Chaubey succeeded Praful Patel as AIFF president, winning the election decisively with 33 out of 34 votes against Bhutia.

Chaubey, a former goalkeeper, has played for prominent Kolkata clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, as well as Goa's Salgaocar.

Before wrapping up his press conference, Kosaraju reiterated his call for the AIFF to rectify its errors.

“I urge the AIFF to amend the mistakes made by their observer and petition the court for a new election with eligible voters in 2023. Additionally, I appeal to the state for all clubs to unite under one organization, as we did previously in Vizag, to enhance football, which we demonstrated until 2023. Currently, the situation is dire, with football in ruins and everything reduced to mere profit-making,” he concluded.