Igor Stimac issued show-cause notice by AIFF for aggresive comments

Igor Stimac has been charge of the Indian football team since 2019.

Igor Stimac, the head coach of the Indian national football team, has recently found himself in hot water as he has been issued a show-cause notice for his aggressive interviews in the media, according to a report published by RevSportz on Twitter.

The report read as follows, “Igor Stimac issued show-cause notice by the AIFF for his aggressive comments in the media. He has been asked to answer within three days!”

What is the matter?

The reports comes in days after he used phrases like, “I have not come to lick a**es” , “My contract is a very loose one. All I need to do is give a 60-day notice and walk away. You can’t hold me back.” , “.... 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…” in his interviews with The Indian Express and RevSportz over the past months. 

The actions  by Stimac have put the federation in hot waters and the Croatian has been asked to clarify his statements before the federation. It is true that in the world of sports, emotions often run high. Coaches, players, and fans invest their hearts and souls into the game. However, when emotions spill over into the media, it can be a double-edged sword.

As stated above, Stimac's interviews have not only been confrontational but have also contained controversial statements. He has openly criticized the clubs and the AIFF amidst advocating the need of having an extended break to prepare for the national team games. The debate of 'club vs country' further aggravated when few ISL clubs refused to release players for the Bhubaneswar camp for the AFC U-23 qualifiers camp which is scheduled to take place in China in the upcoming days.

It remains to be seen what and how Igor Stimac responds to the notice as the senior Indian football team gets ready for their assignment in Thailand for the King’s Cup next week.