Blog

Association of Indian Football Coaches (AIFC) officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Football Coaches Australia (FCA) on 26th August 2020. The meeting for the same was held via zoom and the respective Directors, Chief Executives of both the Associations were present.

AIFC and the FCA recognise each other as developing Associations and have engaged each other with different coaching programs over the past year that have benefitted coaches both from India and Australia.

AIFC and FCA are committed to cooperate to build careers in football in a professional and economically sustainable manner, and to ensure that coaching roles are properly safeguarded and attractive to India’s and Australia’s best talent.
Both Associations recognize and understand the influential role and powerful position that coaches play in the lives and livelihoods of footballers.

Following are the points from the MoU Agreement signed between the two Associations:

a) Mutually assisting each other in the development of football in India and Australia
b) Introducing standard contracts for coaches within their country which set out the agreed minimum employment conditions and a structured and resourced process for termination of employment; set up strategic partnerships to support the professional development & well-being of coaches, including coach exchange programs
c) Encourage the involvement of more female coaches
d) Increase access to football for all participants while aspiring to make each of those experiences positive

On this association, AIFC Director Dinesh Nair said,

“We are happy to make our relationship official by signing this MoU. After supporting each other in our journey to equip and educate our coaches, with this Agreement we look forward to working together for the betterment of our coaches. In the past year, we have engaged with each other by conducting coaches’ workshop, webinars etc. Making it official will help us learn from each other, share best practices and also grow together.”

Football Coaches Australia Chief Executive, Glenn Warry said,

“The MoU with AIFC reinforces our vision of promoting and strengthening the reputation of football in Australia and the reputation of Australian football on the world stage. We are committed to working together to develop support systems for Australian and Indian professional football coaches as they seek to pursue their careers in the Asian Football region. Australia and India have historically had strong relations within the sports of hockey and cricket. Given that the Indian football team first toured Australia in 1935 it is overdue for our Associations to develop an identity for football in our important cultural relationship. There are a number of potential opportunities for both parties to collectively advance professional development, employment, cultural and commercial opportunities for football coaches.”