Following a string of poor performances and empty promises, AIFF has finally decided to part ways with Indian Football Team coach Igor Stimac. Stimac, who has been at the helm of the team since 2019, had earlier promised to step down if India failed to go through to the third round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. However, with Stimac unwilling to step down, AIFF has finally decided to terminate his contract.
Stimac, 56, took control of the Blue Tigers in 2019. Last October, Stimac and his support personnel received extensions. If India had advanced to the third round of World Cup Qualifiers, Stimac’s contract would have been automatically renewed till 2028.
AIFF Technical Committee take the decision to sack Igor Stimac
Senior officials from the All India Football Federation conducted a virtual meeting on June 16, 2024 including Acting Secretary General M. Satyanarayan and Chairman of the AIFF Technical Committee IM Vijayan. Given the poor results of the National Team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign, the members unanimously determined that a new Head Coach would be best suited to lead the team forward. Earlier Stimac’s contract was extended against the recommendation of the technical committee.