Sunil Chhetri is the best player India has ever had, claims Igor Stimac

The Indian national team boss also outlined his demands to the stakeholders.

Igor Stimac should, ideally, be a happy man. He has seen the Indian national team win two back-to-back trophies in the Hero Intercontinental Cup as well as the SAFF Championship. The Blue Tigers are undefeated at home since 2019 and haven’t lost a competitive game in 2023.

At this point, there is a sense of growing optimism over an impressive outing for India in the upcoming AFC Asian Cup. Igor Stimac, however, is not satisfied with the current structure and operations in Indian football. The Croatian mentor has some demands that need to be fulfilled for him to prepare the Indian side to their best ability ahead of the AFC Asian Cup in January next year.

Igor Stimac’s demands

Some of these demands involve expanding the Indian Super League (ISL) to a 16-team affair, increasing the Indian football season to eight months and having two competitive leagues. He also wants his Indian players in key positions to be protected better from exhaustion.

Speaking to The Times of India after the SAFF Championship, Igor Stimac detailed his desire for better finishing from his players in key games. He said, “The boys are carrying the bad habits from ISL, decision-making in the final third is poor. They look to pass where shooting to score is necessary.”

He also wants his demands to be implemented immediately and not until January to properly kick-start AFC Asian Cup preparations. “Certain things need to change and change fast. There must be a clear acceptance of my plan and it has to happen within the coming weeks. We cannot wait till January for that conversation to start,” he mentioned.

What improvements Stimac wants ahead of AFC Asian Cup

The India national team boss is also unimpressed with the speed at which changes are being implemented in Indian Football. He stated, “We in India are not living in the real world. The gap with the rest of our competitors will only increase if we drag our feet. We have to decide whether we want to play in India and be happy or (go out and) try to compete with the rest of the world.”

Stimac has also urged Sunil Chhetri to keep on playing for the Blue Tigers until at least the entirety of his stint as the manager. He revealed: “I would like him to play for the national team as long as I am here. Unlike others who ask when Sunil will retire, I would do everything to keep him playing. From the day I joined, I have been hearing about his age. But what counts is his fitness, commitment, passion, hunger and leadership skills. He is the best player India has ever had and his record speaks for it.”

The Indian national team will be back in action in September, when they travel to Thailand for the King's Cup. They will also partake in the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia in October, which should both serve as solid challenges for the Blue Tigers and help in their preparations for the AFC Asian Cup.