Igor Stimac, the head coach of the Indian Senior Men’s Football Team, has confirmed that he will step down from his position after the Asian Cup 2024, no matter what the result may be. In a recent interview with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Stimac spoke about his four-year journey as India’s head coach, his expectations from the results of the Hero Tri-Nation Football Tournament, and his preparations for the 2024 Asian Cup.
Igor Stimac expressed that the first step in their journey was to reconstruct the team, play a different style of football, and win the hearts of the Indian people with their style of play. They were quite successful in that, despite the disruption caused by the pandemic. The team played three beautiful games in Kolkata last year and proved that they could achieve better and play good football.
However, the second step is the most challenging one. The team is well aware that they will face the continent’s best teams in the 2023 Asian Cup, and to do well in such a competition, they need to organize themselves differently, with a different style of football and maintain verticality in their game.
Igor Stimac has been introducing new faces and trying out youngsters since the beginning, and the core group of players is slowly changing. Sunil Chhetri, Sandesh Jhingan, and Gurpreet Singh Sandhu are the core strength of the team, and the rest of the team is comprised of youngsters. The experience the young players have got in the last four years will serve them well at the Asian Cup.
Igor Stimac Confirms Departure after Asian Cup 2024
🚨 | NT coach Igor Štimac has confirmed that he'll step down after Asian Cup 👋 ⤵️ :
— 90ndstoppage (@90ndstoppage) March 28, 2023
"No matter what the result is, for last five years we've made some progess (limited ones) which'll take decades to change and to wait for decades isn't the best option for me," tells @420_grams pic.twitter.com/Ocx1eyIvVP
When asked about his expectations and targets for the Hero Tri-Nation International Football Tournament, Stimac said that they are the hosts, and they will do absolutely everything to win the tournament. Half of the players will be in a worse position because they will be defeated in the final, and his job is to regenerate them, help them bounce back, and find the strength and ability to play these two games and represent India in a good way.
Igor Stimac’s journey as India’s head coach has been eventful, and he has made progress despite the pandemic disruptions. The team is preparing for the 2024 Asian Cup, and they have high hopes for their performance. While it is disappointing news that Štimac will be stepping down, the team is committed to achieving success under his guidance until the end of his tenure.
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