I didn't come to India to lick a**es. I came to help, asserts Team India head coach Igor Stimac

Stimac urged ISL clubs to release players on time

Ever since the completion of SAFF Championship in Bangalore last month, the Indian Football team has been very vocal about  giving adequate time for the National Teams before the key matches in the season. The Croatian has urged the All India Football Federation and the Indian Super League clubs to release the players to prepare themselves for the task ahead with the National Team.

However, some clubs have refused to release players for the upcoming AFC  U-23  qualifiers early and expressing concerns about the challenges ahead, India’s coach Igor Stimac has once more urged the Indian Super League (ISL) clubs to release players on time for vital upcoming events such as the Asian Games, World Cup qualifiers, and the Asian Cup.

Not here to please people: Stimac

In an interview with The Indian Express,  coach Stimac emphasized his commitment to honesty and straightforwardness, stating that he hasn’t come to India to simply appease others and that he wasn’t hesitant about speaking the truth.

Stimac asserted, “I didn’t, pardon my language now, come to India to lick a**es. I came to India to help. If you want my help, I need to tell you the truth. You can face it, you can help me to overcome the problems or you can tell me we’re not going to change anything, please coach go home, and I will go home happily and we’re going to stay friends.”

Interest of the National Team should be protected at all cost

He pointed out the wealth of expertise present in India and questioned whether it was truly impossible to adjust the schedule in a way that would ensure sufficient time for the national team to prepare. He also raised the possibility of conflicting interests affecting the situation. He remarked, “We have the best brains in the world in India, you’re telling me we cannot manage to adjust the calendar to make sure that the national team has enough time to work? Or are there some other interests? I don’t have a problem with saying that because that’s the truth. Whoever wants to prove me wrong, he can come out publicly with me, debate and tell me what is the main problem?”

Stimac’s comments come amidst an escalating dispute between premier clubs in the Indian Super League and the national team management regarding the release of players for national duties.

In the upcoming weeks, India’s national football team is set to participate in a series of events, beginning with the King’s Cup tournament in Thailand. Subsequently, the team will compete in the Asian U-23 qualifiers in China, where they will also partake in the Asian Games starting from September 19. Further down the line, India is scheduled to take part in the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia in October. Additionally, the joint qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and Asian Cup are slated for November, followed by the Asian Cup itself in January.

However, the journey ahead is marked by various challenges. The under-23 Indian team, which is currently gearing up for the qualifiers, faced setbacks as more than half of the players failed to report for the training camp over the weekend. This camp had already been postponed once due to clubs’ reluctance to release players. According to U-23 India coach Clifford Miranda, only 12 out of the 25 players summoned for training actually showed up. Prominent clubs like East Bengal, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City, Jamshedpur FC, Odisha FC, and Punjab FC refrained from sending their players to the camp.

The clubs, on the other hand, have put forth the argument that since the training camp falls outside the specific dates designated by FIFA for national teams’ activities, they are not bound to release their players. This disagreement between the clubs and the national team management highlights the ongoing complexities in player availability and club obligations.

Currently located in Croatia, Igor Stimac, the coach of the Indian football team, is set to join the team in Thailand for the King’s Cup on September 2. He has expressed concerns about a similar situation arising for the Asian Games and the Asian Cup in the future.

Challenges of scheduling

Stimac discussed the challenges ahead, stating, “The most difficult period is in front of us. And without blaming anyone, it’s not our fault in AIFF (All India Football Federation) or people from FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited, the body that operates the ISL) that we had the pandemic, that Asian Games and Asian Cup got postponed and that without deeper communication and discussion, those tournaments were brought in the middle of the calendar. So, most of the countries and all the coaches are facing the problems together with the clubs.”

He continued, expressing his concern, “But I’m worried because most of these countries found a way to provide the national team the time to work and prepare well. And we are still saying we cannot do it…”

Asian Games was always important

For the Asian Games squad, India has selected Sunil Chhetri, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, and Sandesh Jhingan as the three over-23 players. However, uncertainty remains regarding their participation, along with that of other squad members. India finds itself in Group D alongside hosts China, neighboring Bangladesh, and Myanmar.

There was a preconceived notion that the sources within the ISL have countered that earlier in the year, during the finalization of India’s international commitments, the team management, including Stimac, indicated that the Asian Games were not a high priority.

Stimac said ‘it is not the truth’, and further went on and clarified “How can one coach say that’s not important? That would be silly. What I said precisely was that I’m ready to sacrifice the FIFA window in September and October to get four weeks camp prior to the Asian Cup, and two weeks prior to the World Cup qualifiers in November. That’s what I said… At that time, we didn’t know that the Asian Games are coming in September. So that’s a lie.”

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