Ranjit Bajaj rejects AIFF appointment as India U-15 team manager, explains reasons on Instagram
Ranjit Bajaj declined the All India Football Federation’s offer to act as team manager of the India U-15 side and announced his decision in an Instagram video published on 2026-08-07.
Bajaj said he received an official appointment letter from the AIFF but could not accept the role, posting a video with the caption: “WHY I CAN’T ACCEPT THIS AS IT MAKES NO SENSE AT ALL – I do it because only of my world class team which set World Cup processes in place and make sure they are followed to the hilt – putting both is as good as guaranteed failure for my nation – and I DO NOT SABOTAGE MY NATIONS CHANCES. I fully support any coach they give this team to – as no matter what it’s my national team” He explained the refusal was rooted in concern that his methods and those of the nominated head coach would clash and harm the India U-15 team’s preparation for the tournament.
Bajaj said the appointment prompted congratulations from supporters but that he felt the selection was wrong. “Thank you so much for showing so much support. It’s because of you they (AIFF) considered me. They sent me a letter today, a few hours ago, saying that I have been appointed as the manager. You people have been calling me and congratulating me. I’m not happy. I’m very unhappy because this is the worst thing they could have done.”
He framed the core issue as incompatible footballing philosophies between himself and Bibiano Fernandes, whom the AIFF has named head coach, and warned that differing visions would undermine unity. “You have put both of us (Bibiano Fernandes and Ranjit Bajaj) together. I don’t have any problems with Bibiano personally. The problem is that there are different playing styles and different visions. From a low-block, counter-attacking team to a high-pressure style is totally different. That’s like Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, parking the bus and doing the other stuff. I’m saying it’s not that one system is better than the other, but they are different systems.”
Bajaj attributed his past success to an extensive support structure rather than to a single individual, listing the specialists who form his operational setup. “Why I win is because of my world-class team and my world-class processes, which are made by my world-class team. Things like my psychologist, my Neurovision trainer, my Cognitive trainer, my massage therapist, my two Pro Licensed coaches, my set-piece specialist who is an A License coach, my goalkeeping coach who is another A License coach, my strength and conditioning coach, my hydro therapist, my sports scientist, and my biomechanic. Due to all of these, I get an advantage, and collectively it becomes 10 goals and 15 goals. If I remove any one of them, nothing will happen.”
He also questioned the AIFF’s motive and timing for approaching him, saying the federation had few other options and should have made appointments earlier. “You (AIFF) only called me because if you had any ultimate treble winner or world champion coach beforehand, then you would have appointed him and everyone would have agreed with it. You didn’t have it, so you called your biggest hater because I know how to win, and that’s the only qualification I have.” He criticised the late timing: “If you (AIFF) wanted to give it to Bibiano, it should have been given a year ago. If you wanted to give it to me, it should also have been a year ago. Okay, you have given it now, but you’re still making a mess.”
Bajaj closed his message by urging supporters to move past the controversy and back the national setup. “So, I request all the fans, now is the time to forget this. It’s already too late, and we can’t be doing all this now and making sure our team fails. I’m supporting Bibiano 100% and hope he does very, very well because, at the end of the day, it’s India,” he ended with.
The AIFF Executive Committee has approved the appointment of Bibiano Fernandes as head coach of the India U-15 men’s national team, subject to his acceptance, while Bajaj’s rejection leaves the federation’s managerial pairing unresolved.
