Hey there, football enthusiasts! Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the most eyebrow-raising statements made by Igor Stimac during his tenure as the head coach of the Indian national football team.
Buckle up, because these quotes are bound to leave you scratching your head.
Most Absurd Statements of Igor Stimac as Indian Football Coach:
Statement 1:
“I’m not sure if there is any other country which is not allowing players of their origin to represent their country. It is a huge handicap because there are many good players of Indian origin playing in the top leagues of Europe. So it could be a huge help if we speak about bigger achievements.”
Context: After the Asia Cup debacle Igor Stimac pulled a page out of Morroco’s book asking for AIFF to allow Indian origin players to play for India.
But here’s the thing – Stimac and everyone who follows Indian football knows that the AIFF has strict rules about this. The rules say that Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) can’t play for India since 2008.
And it’s not just the AIFF. India’s laws don’t allow dual citizenship. So, if an OCI or PIO player wants to represent India, they’d have to give up their foreign passport and stay in India for at least a year before applying for an Indian one.
That’s a tough choice for any footballer to make, right? It’s like being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
So, when Stimac brought up this whole “let’s allow Indian origin players” thing, it didn’t really make sense. It just seemed like he was trying to find a way out of the tricky situation after India’s poor performance.
Statement 2:
“If things don’t change I won’t mind packing my bags and leaving.”
Context:
Hitting out at some of the ISL clubs for their unwillingness to release players for the national camp in preparation for the Asian Games, World Cup Qualifiers and the Asian Cup, Stimac said if Indian football needs his help, he will need to tell the truth.
Statement 3:
“We did not get what we wanted. I was very clear, you give me time and I might provide results for you. Without the time, do not ask about the results or anything like that. Just forget it.”
Context: Stimac was throwing a tantrum like a toddler after a string of poor performances, demanding more time to deliver results.
Now, I get that coaches sometimes need a bit more time to get their team in shape, but the timing of Stimac’s statement was just weird, man.
He came out and said all this stuff before we even kicked a ball in one of the biggest tournaments for our team. Talk about being a downer, right?
It’s like he was already making excuses and setting us up for failure before we even stepped on the pitch. Not exactly the kind of pep talk you want from your coach, you know?
Was this the frame of mind he wanted his players to be in before one of the most important tournament? Ohh, wait he didn’t consider it as an important tournament.
Statement 4:
“I’m a truly realistic person …and for now we should be happy and satisfied when continuously participating at the AFC Asian Cup. The reason for saying that is very simple and logical, how to expect our NT (national team) to do well while our best ISL (Indian Super League) teams are losing heavily in the AFC Champions League and suffering defeats in AFC Cup club competitions against teams from Bangladesh and Maldives?”
Context: In one fell swoop, Stimac managed to insult the entire Indian football ecosystem, from the national team to the clubs participating in continental competitions.
And get this, he tried to pass it off as being “realistic.” Like, dude, come on! Saying we should be happy with just participating and not winning is not being realistic. It’s just accepting that we’re not good enough.
How’s that supposed to make our players and fans feel? Motivated? Nah, man. It’s just straight-up discouraging.
It’s like Stimac was trying to find a way to shift the blame onto someone else instead of owning up to our team’s shortcomings.
Look, we all know Indian football has its challenges, but a coach’s job is to inspire and push the team to do better, not just accept mediocrity.
Stimac’s statement was just another example of him trying to dodge the criticism coming his way instead of addressing the real issues head-on.
Statement 5:
“For us, the most important thing is the World Cup qualifier. Knowing that we are not going to get enough time for the Asian Cup, I don’t consider the Asian Cup as such an important tournament for us.”
Context: In a mind-boggling move, Stimac dismissed the prestigious Asian Cup as unimportant, citing a lack of preparation time.
Because, you know, the World Cup qualifiers are far more important than a continental tournament.
Sure the World Cup is important and playing in one is a dream a every Indian football fan but giving up on the next biggest tournament just like that?
Look, we all knew we weren’t the top dogs going into the tournament, but we had what it took to at least make it through the group stage. And you know what? Getting that far would’ve been a massive boost for our confidence before the big World Cup qualifiers.
And talking about the World Cup qualifiers, Indian teams performance was shambolic, where we struggled to beat Afghanistan who are ranked 158th in the FIFA rankings.
India’s chances of making it to the third round of qualfiers now hang in the balance with just 4 points in 4 games.
What excuse does Stimac have now?
Conclusion:
Igor Stimac’s tenure was marred by absurd statements that raised eyebrows. From demanding changes to rules to downplaying major tournaments, his words often missed the mark. A coach should inspire, not make excuses or accept mediocrity.
As Indian football progresses, better leadership and communication are needed to propel the team forward.
