NEW DELHI: There’s a growing sense of frustration within the sports ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI) over national football team’s head coach Igor Stimac’s coaching methods and All India Football Federation’s (AIFF) uninspiring long-term vision.
The unease has grown after Sunil Chettri-led side’s morale-crushing defeat against Afghanistan in FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Qualifiers earlier this week. Spending crores on the Indian football team’s national camps, exposure trips abroad and international assignments as part of the Annual Competition and Training Calendar (ACTC), the country’s sports administrators have run out of patience following the national side’s poor performances over the last one year and Stimac’s lame excuses after every embarrassing defeat.
It’s been learnt that SAI has called upon AIFF boss Kalyan Chaubey and other federation officials for a frank and open discussion to understand the federation’s future plan of action and the course correction it intends to undertake after spending a mind-boggling $30,000 (Rs 25 lakh) as Stimac’s salary every month.
Until two years ago, the Crotian’s salary was partly funded by the SAI and AIFF. Presently, Stimac draws his entire paycheck from AIFF. However, that doesn’t exempt the 56-year-old and AIFF from answering some tough questions that may come their way during their meeting with SAI top bosses.
While SAI cannot effectively remove Stimac from his post as that call has to be taken by AIFF, his work visa can be cancelled by the administrators running the sports in the country if things continue the same way in coming months.
“It’s about the money we spend on the Indian football team as part of the ACTC programme — close to Rs 50 crore annually. If the government is spending so much on a national team and the performances aren’t coming, then obviously the blame has to be shared equally by the coach(es) and the federation.
Even if AIFF is paying his entire salary, that doesn’t mean the coach can’t be held liable for some of the football team’s disastrous outings. We can simply stop funding the team for exposure trips and international assignments. AIFF has to submit a detailed future plan on how it plans to improve things,” a senior sports official said.
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The recent tirade against Stimac and AIFF is the result of India’s insipid 1-2 loss to an under-strength Afghanistan side in the World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday. The defeat was difficult to take as India is ranked 117th to Afghanistan’s 158 in FIFA world rankings. It was India’s first defeat against Afghanistan in over 10 years.
India’s chances of reaching the Round 3 of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers hang by a thread as they have to beat Kuwait at home and then Qatar in an away match come June.
Stimac, who has been at the helm since 2019, received a contract extension last year that will keep him stay in charge until June 2026. But in the last one year starting June 2023, India lost at the Asian Games, King’s Cup, Merdeka Cup, the Asian Cup and now against a depleted Afghanistan side.
The Indian team is currently winless in six matches.
2024-03-29 05:34:00
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