New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has now issued a blanket ban on all member associations and corporate houses from negotiating with foreign teams. It is clear that the AIFF is upset with Bengal Peerless’ initiative to organise a match involving star-studded Bayern Munich in Calcutta.

So much so that the AIFF has issued an eight-point circular to all its affiliated units saying that no one would be allowed to start a dialogue with a foreign club or foreign association without the approval of the federation.

“Intention to negotiate with foreign teams or associations should be intimated to the AIFF before the negotiations start,” states the first point of the circular.

“It is a brainless circular,” said the secretary of a state association. “For all these years, organisers of any match or tournament used to talk and negotiate with foreign teams on their own. Finally, they used to apply for necessary permission from the AIFF.

“The circular is simply undemocratic. The federation has no right to know what my intention is. Such moves will only drive away the handful of corporate houses who are taking some interest in football.”

The AIFF has also made it clear that the federation can at any time increase the levy for organising such matches.

“The levies due to AIFF, Fifa and AFC will have to be paid. In case of international matches or tournaments involving foreign teams, the AIFF executive committee will decide on the levies to be imposed,” the circular states.