Ivan Vukomanovic has rendered his support to Indian Football Team manager Igor Stimac. The Kerala Blasters head coach believes that the Croat’s desire for a three-week campaign ahead of the Asian Cup 2023 is reasonable. He has even stated that his players would always be ready for a national team call-up, regardless of the format.
” I think the big tournaments like the Asian Cup, or like in Europe, when you have the Euro or when you have World Cup, it is needed that the national team is self-assembled a couple of weeks before that,“ said Ivan Vukomanovic.
As the Indian Football Team prepares for their Asian Cup 2023 campaign in January, head coach Igor Stimac demanded a three-week camp. However, following concerns from the club during the Asian Games fiasco, his request was partially sidelined. The angered coach even regretfully admitted that he would not be able to produce the desired results at the tournament.
“Knowing that we’re not gonna get enough time for the Asian Cup, I don’t consider it important element for us. And I don’t want my players to get injured,” said Igor Stimac in the press conference.
Stimac even stated that the FIFA World Cup qualifiers are more important to him than the continental showdown. He even ensured that India should earn enough points to go to the next round of WC qualifiers. Igor Stimac was even denied a camp and he desired players during the Asian Games, after clubs refused to leave the players before ISL. Speaking on the same note Vukomanovic said:
“We will always support national teams, whether it’s the first team with Coach Igor Stimac or young national teams. Whenever the players get called up, we let them go. So because for us as a club, again, we are proud to have players in the national team; it means that you are doing a good job.”
“We have a good connection with the National Federation. So now for the next camp, I understood that it will be somewhere in December for the Asian cups. Of course, if some of our players they got called up for a reason that there is no problem.” Vukamanovic added.
The Indian Football Team will return to action on 13th January against Australia in the AFC Asian Cup 2023. Sunil Chhetri & co will look for some good results at the tournament. However, whether Igor Stimac will get his desired camp is yet to seen.
