In the recent historic qualification of India U-20 to the U-20 Asian Cup, massive credit has to be given to the Reliance Foundation Development League, which has given these players enough game time and enough matches to prosper.🇮🇳⚽️ Just for some stats: 1️⃣. 22 out of 23 players selected in India’s AFC U-20 Asian Cup 2027 qualifying squad featured in the Reliance Foundation Development League in the 2025-26 season. 2️⃣. These players accumulated 274 appearances in the RFDL 2025-26 season, an average of 12.5 matches per player. 3️⃣. Bengaluru FC’s Aheibam Suraj Singh recorded 8 clean sheets, while teammate Md. Arbash scored 9 goals during the season. 4️⃣. 60% of India’s U-20 squad came from Bengaluru FC and Punjab FC, with both clubs also being part of the exposure tour to Japan. This is how much of an impact a single league that does not come under the AIFF, and is run by Reliance Foundation, has had on Indian football. @RFYouthSports 👏🏻

The amount of disrespect, misinformation, and outright hate directed at Bibiano Fernandes over the past few days has been nothing short of embarrassing for the Indian football ecosystem. This isn’t about whether Bibiano Fernandes should or shouldn’t be the India U-15 coach. It’s about how narratives are being manufactured, how public opinion is being manipulated, and how years of genuine contribution are being undermined to serve personal agendas. When the pursuit of a position becomes more important than fairness, integrity is the first casualty. What’s even more disappointing is how easily these narratives are being accepted. A large section of the audience doesn’t even understand what FIFA’s U-15 programme actually is. It is not a FIFA World Cup. It is a developmental festival designed to expose young players to international football, help them adapt to different styles of play, and accelerate their long-term development. Yet people are being led to believe that this is a major competitive tournament where results alone define success. That completely misses the point of youth development. Success in Indian football should never be measured by U-13, U-14 or U-15 results. Those age groups exist to develop better footballers, not to satisfy social media narratives. The first level where competitive results genuinely begin to matter is the U-17 category and above, where India competes in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup and has the opportunity to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup. And when judged at that level, Bibiano Fernandes has already given Indian football moments that very few coaches have. In a football ecosystem where genuine success stories have been limited, Bibiano has consistently raised standards. Alongside coaches like Nushad Moosa, he belongs to a small group of coaches who have given Indian football fans reasons to believe that progress is possible. That is precisely why the level of disrespect directed towards him is so difficult to understand. Those who have actually worked with Bibiano, his players, colleagues, and people within the game, consistently speak about his humility, professionalism, attention to detail, and ability to develop young footballers. Unfortunately, those voices rarely travel as far on social media as outrage and misinformation. Criticism is a part of football. It always will be. But criticism should be based on facts, context, and footballing understanding, not on manipulated narratives or personal agendas. If you have genuinely followed Indian football over the years, these are the times to speak up. Silence allows misinformation to become accepted as truth. You don’t have to agree with every appointment or every decision. But you should never allow years of honest work, proven contribution, and the respect earned from generations of players to be erased by selective narratives. Indian football deserves better. And so does Bibiano Fernandes.