AIFF are set to part ways with India national team head coach Igor Stimac, effective immediately. The report comes from TOI’s Marcus Mergulhao, with the board finally deciding to relieve the coach of his duties after India failed to qualify for Round 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers.
Although the deciding match had a great level of controversy involved in Qatar’s first goal, the board has seen enough to try a new approach for the national team as it enters a new era.
Igor Stimac to be sacked by AIFF after failing to make it to Round 3 of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers
đź“… June 2024 :
— 90ndstoppage (@90ndstoppage) June 17, 2024
– Senior men's captain Sunil Chhetri leaves the NT
– Senior men's head coach Igor Stimac is sacked
đź‘‹ A new chapter for #IndianFootball awaits! pic.twitter.com/GPwKAOP5MG
Fans have been calling for the Croatian to be sacked for years, with those demands intensifying after the Blues lost to Afghanistan at home. The must-win home match against Kuwait, which was also captain Sunil Chhetri’s final game with the national team, ended in a goalless draw.
The 56-year-old has been in charge of India since May 2019, and has helped the national team win the SAFF Championship twice while also making it to the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, although he was unable to lead the team to a single win.
After managing over 50 games, Igor Stimac will now move on, and so will the Indian national team, to help raise the bar as it enters a whole new era.
