No cellphones in dressing rooms: AIFF

PANAJI: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) is in the final stages of preparing fresh regulations that will ban the entry of club owners and use of cellphones from dressing rooms.
Until last season, club owners had unrestricted entry to their respective team dressing room, with top officials making an appearance before and during the break, mostly to boost the morale of the players.
When the new season kicks off later this year, starting with the Indian Super League that kicks off next month, only "accredited officials" will be allowed entry.
The use of cellphones by any player in the dressing room, except the manager for official purposes, will also be banned as AIFF seeks to strictly implement the new anti-corruption measures to combat match fixing.
"We will be sending the rules to all clubs soon but managers and other officials have already been briefed," said I-League CEO Sunando Dhar.
"All players before they enter the dressing room must surrender their cellphones to the team manager. If anyone is found to be flouting rules, the manager will be held responsible," said Dhar.
It was only last month that the AIFF appointed Javed Siraj as the Integrity Officer, keeping in tune with Fifa and AFC's mandate to combat corruption and match-fixing in the sport. The Integrity Officer is the single point contact on all matters of integrity in Indian football.
Siraj, a former CBI officer, has suggested a host of measures to combat possible malpractices but the entry and exit of club owners has been drawn from previous AFC regulations.