Indian Football Association makes AFC 'C' license mandatory to coach in the Calcutta Football League

What's the story?

In a bid to improve the level of football at the most basic level, the Indian Football Association (IFA) has made it mandatory for coaches to obtain an AFC 'C' license to coach in the Calcutta Football League (CFL).

In case you didn't know...

The AFC 'C' license is a football certificate that potential coaches need to obtain in order to coach at the highest level. Any person looking to apply for a 'C' license must have also obtained a 'D' license previously. They also need to have minimum three months experience in the field.

It is meant to teach the coaches to organize, manage and carry basic coaching practices, especially for young players.

Heart of the matter

The IFA has made some necessary changes to ensure that the quality of football in the Kolkata improves.

Firstly, it has been made mandatory for coaches to obtain an AFC 'C' license to coach in the league. Without the license, any coach won't be able to work with the teams currently playing in the league, IFA confirmed to Sportskeeda.

Secondly, IFA has also announced that within two years, all coaches in the Premier Division have to obtain an AFC 'B' license.

Finally, it was also announced that four teams will be relegated from the premier division and four will be promoted from the Premier 'A' Division.

What next?

This edition's Calcutta Football League kicks off in July when all the aforementioned changes will come into play. Teams will once again battle each other to reign supreme in the state of West Bengal.

Author's take

This move from IFA comes as a welcome surprise as it will surely improve the quality of football at the most basic level. Hopefully, it will help the game moving forward.