Igor Stimac blasts AIFF – “India is the only place in the world where football is not growing”

Former India head coach Igor Stimac recently made some bombshell claims during a virtual press conference after being sacked from the Indian team. His candid remarks shed light on the state of Indian football and its future prospects.

Igor Stimac criticises AIFF’s leadership

Stimac asserted that Indian football is imprisoned in the hands of power-hungry individuals. He expressed scepticism about significant improvements in the next 20 years.

“I came with an open heart to Indian football. But your football is imprisoned. It will take a couple of decades for things to improve which I don’t see happening,” Stimac said in his virtual press conference.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) faced sharp criticism from Stimac. He accused them of lacking the ability to run a football organization effectively. According to him, the AIFF prioritizes power over the sport’s development.

“The people in AIFF don’t know how to run a football house, they don’t know how to organise cups. These people only care about power,” Stimac said.

Stimac revealed that he had already decided to leave the Indian coaching job even if the team had qualified for the third round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. He cited a lack of proper support, misinformation, and private interests as reasons for his decision.

“Not surprised about parting ways. Most of my senior players knew I had decided to leave even after had qualified for the third round. It was impossible for me to go on without proper support, full of lies and people who had only private interests,” he further added.

The former coach emphasized the need for technical expertise within the AIFF. He questioned the suitability of certain individuals in key positions, suggesting that they lacked the necessary understanding of football operations.

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