Indian men’s football team head coach Igor Stimac was in a different mood moments after the Blue Tigers defeated Hong Kong in their final AFC Asian Cup qualifier clash in Kolkata.
The jovial flair of the previous press conferences was gone, with an air of almost honesty.
Once the joys of victory were over, Stimac took the tone of the responses to the more pressing matters regarding the sport at large in the country.
“I have huge plans with India,” he had declared on the night, adding that we as a football nation were already “eight to 10 years behind the top-eight Asian nations”.
Croatia, 54, questions timing of turmoil at All India Football Federation (AIFF), especially when the team was trying to qualify for the AFC Asian Cup.
With Stimac’s contract extended until September, he explained that he had come to India for “low pay” and that there were other offers, saying “coach was never a problem in this country, you should talk about other problems”. .
Some of his demands at night were that they stay on after September, asking foreigners to be reduced from the I-League and the Indian Super League being played and put on hold when he asked to do so. .
Since then Dr. SY Qureshi, a Supreme Court-appointed CoA member to steer Indian football and facilitate elections to the AIFF, has assured that September is ‘too far’.
Stimac clarified in a press briefing that this is not how football works.
“A council member probably said that since my contract is till September, there is time left. But he should know how the football calendar works,” Stimac told members of the press on Saturday.
I am committed to AIFF. I love India and want to take these youngsters to Asian Cup (in 2023) and show World So that India can do better. I’m not even half done, so I don’t want to go now. If the other side is appropriate, I think it (renewal of contract) could happen soon in June or July so that things can start early for the national team.
Stimac escaped ‘few stakeholders’ in Indian football who focused on their own ‘projects’.
“When I took the job, I expected a different position. I expected everyone to be committed and ready to help the national team rise to the top. But some teams were focusing on their own projects which was amazing. Some of them didn’t understand what it meant and how long it took for the national team to rise,” Stimac said.
“No blame but I was expecting more from the government on what football means to the country and how we can move faster. You all know that all countries are using players of origin and India is the only country which is not using foreign players and this is another hurdle for the country.
“When I was coming here, I was hoping that I would be given all the tools available to make India bigger and bigger, but it obviously didn’t happen, so I’ll focus on my work and make sure that the I will try not to mess up. Above is what we have to do. Our hands were tied during the whole time and now it is really necessary to focus on what we have to do. Talk less and work more.”
Stimac also reiterated his concern over the duration of the Indian football season, saying that it is currently being followed by another sport – cricket.
“Things need to be sorted out about the football calendar, which is still being adjusted” IPL And broadcasting… If we want to make football great in India, it has to stop. The football calendar should not depend on other things,” Stimac said.
“India has the privilege of having a sport as popular as cricket, but don’t be afraid of another sport becoming popular. And to do that, they need to open the door to football. Otherwise it will not happen. Football should not suffer because of cricket,” he said.
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