Technical director Rob Baan's stint with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is as good as over. The Dutchman, who was admitted to a Mumbai hospital after he collapsed, is scheduled to leave late Friday night escorted by an Indian doctor.
Baan, 70, was unlikely to renew his two-year contract that ends in October and now an early departure means his stint with Indian football has come to a premature end. He will be accompanied by the federation's doctor Sandip Kumar.
Baan was hospitalised Wednesday night in Mumbai after he lost consciousness while assisting national coach Wim Koevermans in conducting the AFC Professional licence course.
A top AIFF official told IANS that given the Dutchman's health conditions it is highly unlikely that he would come back.
"He is old and not keeping well. Baan wants to have all his tests done in the Netherlands. And when he has made up his mind that he is not going to renew his contract, we doubt that he will come back," the official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.
AIFF secretary Kushl Das, however, maintained that Bann is going back only for a regular medical check up.
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"He has gone back home for a regular medical check up," Das told IANS.
Bann, who has also been a technical director with Australia, is unhappy with the lackadaisical attitude of the AIFF and is unlikely to renew his contract which ends in October.
The Dutchman, who was critical of Indian players aimlessly trying their luck overseas, is upset that his ambitious 125-page master plan 'Lakshya' hasn't been implemented by the AIFF since it was launched last August.
For the last two years Baan's role has been reduced to just writing a master plan for the AIFF. And then when it was released the AIFF felt it was too expensive to be implemented.
Baan had an annual package of Rs.2 crore, a part of which was paid by the Oranje Sports Forum.
The master plan was aimed at revolutionising the game in the country and help India qualify for the 2022 World Cup. But even after a year the AIFF is yet to implement it citing high costs.
The Dutchman's only other contribution was to oversee the setting up of the AIFF-FIFA regional elite academy in Kolkata.
Baan earlier had been critical of the AIFF. He slammed the governing body for not having any national team training centre, no elite academies, no budget as far as implementing the Lakshya 2022 project is concerned.
Baan was also critical of India captain Sunil Chettri and had called him a "big flop" for his stints abroad.