The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has decided to part ways with Indian Football team head coach Igor Stimac, offering him three months’ salary as compensation. This decision came after a virtual meeting with senior AIFF officials, following Stimac’s failure to lead India to the third round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
“We have offered him three months’ salary as compensation. He is yet to respond to our letter informing him of our decision,” an AIFF official told News9 Sports.
Stimac’s position became untenable after a string of disappointing results. India drew 0-0 with Kuwait in Kolkata on June 6 and lost 1-2 to Qatar five days later, finishing third in their qualifying group. The top two teams, Qatar and Kuwait, moved on to the third round, a milestone Stimac had promised to achieve for India for the first time in history.
Despite this failure, Stimac did not resign immediately. He told the team he would consult with the federation before making a decision.
Why will AIFF pay Igor Stimac compensation
Stimac took over as head coach in May 2019. His contract was extended for two years in October 2022 and again for another two years in October 2023. During the last extension, his salary was increased from $24,000 to $30,000 for the first year, with a rise to $40,000 in the final year, regardless of the team’s performance.
Reports indicated that Stimac’s contract lacked a severance clause, complicating the AIFF’s ability to terminate his employment. This was despite the technical committee, led by IM Vijayan, recommending his dismissal after a poor showing at the AFC Asian Cup in January, where India lost all three group games, conceded six goals, and failed to score.
However, it was later reported that Stimac’s contract did have a ‘termination clause,’ but no performance-related sub-clause, making the termination process more complex. This indicates the situation may not be fully resolved yet.
The AIFF had hoped Stimac would voluntarily resign and take responsibility for the failed World Cup qualifying campaign. When the 1998 World Cup bronze medalist did not step down, the federation felt compelled to act.
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