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The showdown between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and former head coach Igor Stimac has escalated, with the AIFF stating in response to Stimac’s scathing criticism of the federation and its president, Kalyan Chaubey, on Friday, June 21.
Two days ago, the AIFF announced their intention to comment on the Croatian’s remarks, and they have now done so. The national body that Stimac’s comments were made with the 'sole intent of maligning the AIFF and showing its personnel in poor light.'
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On that very note, here is the complete explanation of the statement released by the AIFF on Igor Stimac's comments.
AIFF’s statement regarding contract issues
Stimac, who received a termination notice from the AIFF last week, described his departure as “unprofessional and unethical.” He also raised concerns about his contract, threatening legal action if his dues were not paid within 10 days.
In response, the AIFF disclosed that Stimac had been offered a two-year contract in October 2023, with a monthly salary of $30,000 starting January 2024. They stated that their legal team had been instructed to finalize the contract "with a termination clause favorable to AIFF.”
The statement also revealed that the then secretary general, Shaji Prabhakaran, along with an AIFF legal consultant, negotiated and finalized the contract, which was signed by Prabhakaran and Stimac.
However, they noted that the instructions to include favorable termination clauses were not followed before the contract was renewed. Nonetheless, certain clauses for termination for cause were retained in the contract.
AIFF addresses astrologer controversy and lack of training equipments for the first team
The astrologer controversy, reported in September last year, revealed that Stimac had been consulting an astrologer to decide which players should start certain games based on their star signs.
The Croatian coach did not address this issue during the virtual press conference, but the AIFF stated that they took immediate action to put an end to this practice.
"The new AIFF leadership was shocked to note his dependence on an astrologer to determine player’s call ups, team selections, and took immediate necessary action to end the same. His selection of support staff had also gone unquestioned and was the subject of disquiet among many players."
Stimac also claimed that he ‘never had a relationship’ with president Kalyan Chaubey, but the federation revealed that Stimac had met with Chaubey five times in the last 18 months. He further alleged that the team was not provided with equipment like GPS vests, but the AIFF clarified that the vests were lost by the airline during the team’s travel in September 2023 from New Delhi to Hangzhou for the Asian Games and that Stimac was aware of this.
They also stated that new devices were ordered, and the vests were available during India’s camp in Bhubaneswar ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in June. Additionally, the AIFF mentioned that several players had raised concerns about Stimac’s tactics and coaching.
"Despite all the support, the coach always sought to deflect blame and, according to him, everything and everyone else was wrong and responsible for any given situation except himself. This sentiment was also shared by various players who had brought their concerns regarding Mr. Stimac’s coaching style and tactics to the attention of the AIFF on multiple occasions," the statement disclosed.
During the AFC National Coaches Conference in Malaysia this May, Stimac claimed that he had only four support staff members. However, the AIFF clarified that he consistently had 13 to 16 support staff for every camp and tournament, with additional specialist coaches available during the AFC Asian Cup.
"The AIFF never objected to these additional demands, providing whatever support he sought. It is evident that Mr. Stimac intentionally misrepresented facts, to gain sympathy from other nation’s coaches and the AFC, at the reputational cost of India, the AIFF and Indian football."
AIFF comments on Igor Stimac’s departure and his heart surgery
The AIFF has disclosed that they opted not to address several of Stimac’s critical remarks in the media during his tenure, focusing instead on India’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
Additionally, three days before India’s match against Kuwait in Kolkata, the federation received a legal notice claiming breach of contract. The notice alleged that the AIFF misquoted Stimac in a press release issued in September 2023. Below is the complete statement concerning the legal notice.
"In early June 2024, just three (3) days prior to the match against Kuwait in Kolkata, the AIFF received a legal notice from Mr. Stimac’s lawyer alleging that the AIFF had breached his contract by allegedly misquoting him in a press release made in September 2023 when he had thanked those who made the release of players for the Asian Games possible."
"His argument was that the AIFF and FSDL should not have been mentioned by name in the release and in his quote. It appears that Mr. Stimac was more concerned about finding specious reasons to end his coaching stint in a manner favourable to himself rather than focusing on the team’s preparations for perhaps the most important match in the Indian national team’s recent history." AIFF added.
The statement also claimed that Stimac’s focus was directed towards other matters rather than the crucial qualifier games that determined India’s fate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
"It appears that Mr. Stimac was more concerned about finding specious reasons to end his coaching stint in a manner favourable to himself rather than focusing on the team’s preparations for perhaps the most important match in the Indian national team’s recent history."
Stimac also shared details about undergoing heart surgery before the AFC Asian Cup in January, explaining that despite being hospitalized, he chose to travel to Qatar to coach India. He emphasized that the surgery was a result of the stress he experienced while managing the Blue Tigers, a claim that the AIFF criticized as being ‘irresponsible’.
"The AIFF is also shocked to note from Mr. Stimac’s public statements that he underwent heart surgery during his engagement with the AIFF. He has irresponsibly blamed the AIFF for causing his heart ailment, attempting to deflect the serious matter of his not having been medically fit to render coaching services and his failure to formally disclose the same to the AIFF."
In their concluding statement, the federation criticized Stimac for implying that he had ‘come with open arms’ but felt ‘imprisoned’ by the state of football in India.
"It is ironic that someone who was the prime person controlling the fortunes of the national team considers that Indian football is imprisoned and has not grown. It is fashionable to blame the entire system on the way out, especially when you do not wish to take any personal responsibility," the statement read.
They mentioned that the process to appoint a new coach is underway and expressed their desire to turn over a new page after all the controversies. But it remains to be seen whether the ongoing exchanges between Stimac and the AIFF will persist or if the AIFF has brought them to a close.
