AIFF sugarcoats bitter pill for Nayeem, PK Banerjee

New Delhi, Mar 10 (UNI) Trying to sugarcoat the bitter pill, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) today construed sacking of national coach Syed Nayeemuddin as an effort to 'reorganise the technical team'' while said it had no contract with manager PK Banerjee and hence there is no question of axing him.

In a release here today, AIFF President Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi rubbished ''distorted news reports'' that Nayeem was sacked and said the ''Executive Committee of the AIFF (in its Wednesday meeting here) unanimously adopted a resolution that it is necessary to reorganise the technicalteam of the AIFF at the earliest...Executive Committee further advised to negotiate with FIFA and AFC for a foreign coach...the question of sacking any individual of the technical committee did not arise.'' While this effectively means Nayeem was indeed sacked, the release makes it more explicit where Mr Dasmunsi said, ''Syed Nayeemuddin, since was engaged on the contractual assignment, AIFF has every right to consider or re-consider the matter whenever the committee feels it proper within the scope of the agreement.'' Regarding PK Banerjee's removal, Mr Dasmunsi he had explained the federation's position to the former Indian captain over telephone.

''Padmashree PK Banerjee is a distinguished sports personality of the country and did not serve AIFF on any contractual assignment on the ongoing project and therefore, sacking or questioning his integrity is beyond our thinking,'' he said.

''AIFF has no ontention to discredit any football personality as has been reported..'' he added.

UNI AY PA HT2048