New Delhi: The country’s football fraternity does not think the AIFF’s Team India concept will work.

The AIFF wants to shortlist 30 to 40 players who would remain exclusively under the federation’s payroll and train only to play for national teams of different age-groups. These players would not be allowed to turn out for any club for two years.

Bhaichung Bhutia feels that it is always important to strike a balance between club commitment and national duty to improve the standard of the game.

“This is a unique idea which has not been implemented anywhere in the world,” Bhutia said. “I can understand if this is tried out in the under-19 age group. Beyond that, it won’t work. Every footballer needs to play at least one competitive match a week to improve his game. Can the federation ensure that,” asked the ace striker.

Dempo coach Armando Colaco was more vocal in his criticism. “This has been done without weighing the pros and cons,” he said.

“There are lots of technicalities involved in it,” Colaco said. “Suppose a club signs a two or three-year contract with a particular player. Then how can the federation recruit him next year? Most importantly, what will the clubs do if the federation takes away all the good players? The biggest sufferer will be the Professional League.”

Newly-appointed East Bengal coach Subrata Bhattacharya said he was simply surprised. “In the world of professional football, this type of regimentation doesn’t pay,” was how he put it.

JCT coach Sukhwinder Singh agreed with Bhattacharya. “Improvement in football cannot be achieved in seclusion,” he felt. “The passion and excitement associated with club football help immensely in making a complete footballer. It’s a process. You can’t skip it and achieve excellence.”