Should AIFF part ways with Indian head coach Igor Stimac?

Igor Stimac replaced Stephen Constantine as the head coach of the Indian football team in 2019. He was initially handed a two-year contract, which was extended by another 12 months last September.

His three-year spell has had its fair share of criticism, with many believing that the Croatian boss has failed to improve the Indian team. There have also been negative reviews behind the decision to appoint him over the likes of Sven Goran Erikson, Hakan Erikson, Gianni De Biasi, and Albert Roca.

Stimac endured poor spells with club sides Sepahan and Zadar and also failed to deliver with the Croatian national team.

Igor Stimac not having best of his times at India

Stimac has managed to win only nine matches since his appointment

Stimac's team are currently on a poor run in general. Besides the SAFF Cup triumph, India have not had any major success in international football of late. The country has also been surprised by teams such as Vietnam, Oman, and Curacao.

Stimac's India have also lost games against other Asian sides like Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal and Singapore. The Croatian head coach has won only nine out of 29 matches in charge, with most of these victories coming against inferior teams.

Experimenting is fine, too much of it is an issue

Stimac's experimental policy of fielding new faces in every alternate game has hurt the team. The constant change and chopping has affected the confidence of the players and the morale in the squad.

Moreover, despite making several changes, Stimac has ignored numerous good players. Players like Faisal, Debjit Majumdar, Bidyasagar Singh, and Aniket Jadav amongst others were not called up for the national team despite playing well.

The strategy appears to be all over the place right now, something the head coach needs to address quickly.

Are Indian fans justified in demanding a sack for Stimac?

India's latest defeat against Vietnam was a defining moment in the Stimac era. It wasn't just a regular loss as the team were hammered 3-0 and appeared out of ideas on how to turn things around.

Quite a few fans are now demanding the resignation of the national team coach, having become tired of the lack of results under Stimac. India has also fallen down the rankings under the Croatian boss, dropping from 97 to 104.

It may be time to turn a new page and part ways with Stimac. The AFC Cup is set to be held in June 2023, which means the time is now or never. The new head coach will need time to establish his methods and assess the squad.

The AIFF also needs to do its part and schedule more international games so the players can learn how to play with each other.