AIFF sends showcause notice to Igor Stimac over aggressive remarks

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has taken notice of Indian men's national team coach Igor Stimac's recent remarks in the media and issued a show-cause notice, as reported by RevSportz. Stimac is expected to reply to the notice within three days.

The comments made during an interview last week saw the Croatian coach stating, in his own words, that he 'did not come to India to lick a**es'.

According to the Times of India, the AIFF has also additionally documented various occasions when Stimac’s comments caused discomfort since India's SAFF Championship success.

As the Indian national football team prepares for upcoming tournaments, there is ongoing discussion about scheduling the Indian Super League (ISL). There is also uncertainty surrounding whether clubs will release their players for the Asian Games this month and the Asian Cup scheduled for January 2024.

Stimac has consistently advocated for a minimum of a four-week training camp, especially in preparation for the Asian Cup, where India will face formidable opponents such as Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria.

As per reports from Indian Express earlier this week, Stimac expressed his disappointment, stating:

"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."

Igor Stimac is set to lead India to the King’s Cup in Thailand, with the competition beginning on September 7. India will face 70th-ranked Iraq in the semi-finals, which will prove to be a tough challenge, especially considering the absence of Sunil Chhetri.

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Igor Stimac questions India’s ambitions and support for the national team

India have certainly improved, yet the forthcoming period promises to be demanding, particularly due to the high-caliber opponents they are slated to face.

The Blue Tigers are gearing up for an action-packed schedule in the months ahead. Following the King's Cup, they have the Asian Games scheduled from September 19 to October 7, followed by the Merdeka Cup in October.

Subsequently, the FIFA World Cup qualifiers are set to commence in November, with the AFC Asian Cup on the horizon in January 2024.

It's worth noting that both the Asian Games and the Asian Cup fall outside the FIFA international window. Igor Stimac emphasizes that to achieve their objectives, the Blue Tigers require more time for preparation ahead of these continental competitions to boost their rankings.

"I know players need to be in the clubs, they need to be involved in the club competitions," Stimac stated. "But when it comes to our primary goals, you see, we want to go top-eight, top-10 in Asia in the next four years. How are we going to get there? If we are now two levels below the countries in the top 8, how are we going to get there without spending time together and working together?"

Amidst the controversy surrounding Igor Stimac's remarks, it remains to be seen how the Croatian coach will respond, especially with the King’s Cup coming up.