File image of former India head coach Igor Stimac.© AFP
Igor Stimac, the former head coach of the Indian football team, has called Indian football “imprisoned” in a scathing attack after his sacking. Stimac was sacked after India failed to qualify for the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Now, in a virtual press conference, Stimac has gone all out, throwing a number of accusations at the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the administrators in charge of Indian football. Stimac also revealed his personal health problems suffered during his tenure.
Indian football is ‘imprisoned’
“Your football (Indian football) is imprisoned. It will take a couple of decades for things to improve, which I don’t see happening,” said Stimac.
“My senior players already knew that I had decided to leave, even if we qualified for the third round. It was impossible for me to continue without proper support, full of lies and people who only have private interests,” he added.
“The AIFF’s biggest achievement in the last five years was keeping me quiet,” Stimac said.
Attack on AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey
Stimac lashed out at AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, stating that they never had a working relationship.
“The president of the AIFF gets pictures clicked with people in important positions for social media. Kalyan (Chaubey) only cares about being popular,” said a fuming Stimac.
“Me and Kalyan never had a relationship. I reported to the secretary general. The president doesn’t indulge,” he added.
“The people in AIFF don’t know how to run a football house. They only care about power,” said Stimac.
“Sooner Kalyan Chaubey leave, Indian football stands a chance,” Stimac said.
Heart surgery
Stimac further revealed that he had to undergo an urgent heart operation due to stress put on him, as the AIFF had given him time till the Asian Cup.
“When I received the final warning on December 2. no one knows this, I finished in the hospital. I was disturbed with everything going on; stressed from the obvious problems. I had an immediate surgery on my heart. I wasn’t ready to speak to anyone or find excuses. I was ready to put myself on the line to prepare my team for the Asian Cup to give the best shot,” Igor Stimac said in the press conference on Friday, June 21.
India’s qualification hopes for the 2026 FIFA World Cup ended after a controversial 2-1 defeat to Qatar, where an illegal Qatar goal was allowed to stand by the referee.
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