Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac was dismissed on June 17 after his team failed to advance to the third round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Following his dismissal, a frustrated Stimac announced on Twitter that he would hold a revealing press conference to expose several individuals within Indian football. On Friday, June 21, in a virtual press conference, Stimac made explosive allegations against the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
Igor Stimac 🗣️ : “Kalyan only cares about being popular – recent media meets shows that. You say he is a politician, No one knows him even in Kolkata. We need someone strong and with backing to lead us.” #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/lHRCK5ztoX
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Igor Stimac Breaks Silence After Getting Sacked By AIFF
“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.
Addressing reporters from across India, Stimac claimed that Indian football was controlled by power-hungry individuals, hindering its progress for the next 20 years. He sharply criticized the AIFF, asserting that his dismissal was unjust.
“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.
During the same press conference, Stimac revealed that the stress of the coaching job had necessitated heart surgery before the Asian Cup. He further accused the AIFF of being incompetent in managing Indian football.
Stimac expressed his anger towards the AIFF’s operations, stating that the Indian team received no technical support from the federation.
The All India Football Federation announced on Monday, June 17, that Igor Stimac had been relieved of his duties as head coach of the Indian men’s football team following a disappointing performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers. This decision was made during a crucial virtual meeting led by AIFF Vice President N.A. Haris, with key attendees including Menla Ethenpa, Anilkumar Prabhakaran, I.M. Vijayan, Climax Lawrence, and M. Satyanarayan.
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