AIFF Sacks Head Coach Igor Stimac Following World Cup Qualification Failure

 

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has made a decisive move by terminating the contract of Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac. This decision comes in the wake of India’s failure to advance to Round 3 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, following a disheartening 2-1 defeat against Qatar. The loss left India in third place in their group, behind Kuwait and Afghanistan, effectively ending their World Cup journey.

The End of an Era

The AIFF’s decision was announced shortly after Indian football legend Sunil Chhetri retired from international play, marking the end of an era for Indian football. Chhetri’s final match was against Kuwait, where he once again demonstrated his leadership and skill on the field.

The fate of Coach Stimac was sealed during a virtual meeting held by senior AIFF officials on Sunday. The meeting was chaired by AIFF Vice President Mr. NA Haris and attended by key members of the Executive Committee and Technical Committee, including Mr. Menla Ethenpa, Mr. Anilkumar Prabhakaran, Mr. IM Vijayan, Mr. Climax Lawrence, and Acting Secretary General Mr. M. Satyanarayan.

🚨Breaking: AIFF has sent a termination letter to Igor Stimac. In the letter, AIFF mentioned paying a compensation fee for three months.#IgorStimac #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/feI2s5UjnH

— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) June 18, 2024

The members unanimously agreed that the disappointing outcome of India’s World Cup qualification campaign necessitated a change in leadership to propel the team forward. The meeting concluded with instructions to Acting Secretary General Mr. Satyanarayan to inform Coach Stimac of his contract termination.

FANS REACTION : 

As the Indian football community comes to terms with this significant change, attention now turns to the future and who will be appointed as the new head coach. The AIFF’s decision underscores their commitment to the growth and success of Indian football on the international stage.

Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops and India’s search for a new head coach begins.