ALL INDIA FOOTBALL FEDERATION (AIFF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ryan Group of Institutions to introduce structured football and futsal programmes across the group’s schools.
Under the partnership, the AIFF will provide comprehensive technical support, including the design of grassroots football and futsal frameworks, standardised coaching curricula and session plans, grassroots leader courses and safeguarding training for school staff. The federation will also define competition formats and progression pathways, deploy technical observers and scouts, monitor programme quality and safeguarding compliance, and permit the use of AIFF branding for participating schools, coaches and players.
In return, the Ryan Group will provide education for players enrolled in AIFF’s TDS centres in Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar.
The initiative places particular emphasis on school futsal and girls’ football, two key areas for developing the sport at the grassroots level. The partnership will introduce dedicated futsal programmes and competitions to make the sport more accessible within school environments, while also creating structured pathways to support and encourage female participation across all age groups.
AIFF deputy secretary general M. Satyanarayan said, “This partnership will help expand structured football programmes in schools and strengthen the development pathway for young players. Working with a large school network allows us to introduce organised training, coach education, and safeguarding standards at the grassroots level.”
Ryan Group of Institutions CEO Ryan Pinto commented, “We are pleased to partner with AIFF to bring structured football development into our schools. This collaboration will support student participation in organised sport while helping create opportunities for football training and competition across our network. Through this partnership we would like to focus on futsal at the youth level, and girls’ football.”
