Igor Stimac set to address media to 'open the cards' on Indian football's current state and his dismissal
Former Indian head coach Igor Stimac, who parted ways with the national team a few days ago, has appealed to media houses to shed light on the events that led to the recent poor performances of the Blue Tigers. Stimac, who received a termination notice from the AIFF on Monday, June 17, described his departure as “blatantly unprofessional and unethical” and threatened to sue the Federation if they did not settle his payment within the next 10 days.
The Croatian took to social media on Thursday, June 20, to clarify the confusion surrounding his dismissal, stating that he would “open the cards” to the supporters.
Here is his statement on the social media platform X:
“Hello my dear friends from Indian Media. I’m sure you, alike me, are stressed, disturbed and worried having seen the state of the national football over the last few months. You have every right to know the flow of events that put us here. I am a true Indian and I tried to help in whatever way I could. Let’s join in a friendly chat session at 14:00 IST on 21-06-24 and open the cards for the last time!”
Igor Stimac’s response to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) following his dismissal
In March, Stimac announced that he would resign if India failed to qualify for the third round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Since his dismissal, he has been outspoken about the AIFF’s decision, stating that several promises made to him and his staff were not fulfilled.
In a statement released by Stimac, he wrote:
"I kindly ask you to immediately, but not later in next ten (10) days, organize payment to me for this termination of the contract without just cause in the amount which will represent a residual value of my employment contract that was prematurely terminated from AIFF side."
“This amount should represent the remaining value of my employment contract prematurely terminated by the AIFF, in accordance with Article 6 of Annex 2 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players. Otherwise, I will start proceedings against the AIFF before the competent FIFA Football Tribunal and file a lawsuit," Stimac added.
Additionally, Stimac detailed the promises unfulfilled by the AIFF. He highlighted poor travel logistics in March, when the team traveled from Saudi Arabia to Guwahati to face Afghanistan, noting that their opponents arrived in India before they did.
He also accused the AIFF of failing to provide GPS equipment for over 200 days, revealing that India were the only team in the AFC Asian Cup without the facility.
Stimac claimed that agreements regarding contract extensions for himself and his staff were ignored. He further alleged that AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) changed the official player list for the Asian Games just three days before the tournament.