Indian men’s football team’s head coach Igor Stimac sacked

New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) today sacked senior men’s team head coach Igor Stimac after the team’s exit in the second round of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers despite an easy draw.

Stimac was appointed head coach in 2019 and in October last year, the AIFF extended his contract till 2026. “In view of the dismal performance of the senior men’s team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign, the members unanimously agreed that a new head coach would be the best fit to take the team forward,” the AIFF said in a statement. ”

“A notice has been issued by the AIFF Secretariat regarding Stimac’s dismissal and he has been relieved of his duties from now on,” the statement said.

The AIFF may now have to pay Stimac around USD 360,000 (about Rs 3 crore) as per the contract, which is a huge amount for a federation that has struggled for funds in recent years and cut its competitive budget.

Despite the retirement of long-time captain Sunil Chhetri, India had a chance to make it to the third round of the World Cup qualifiers for the first time but lost 1-2 to hosts Qatar in the final match of their second round.