Indian Football Head Coach: Know your 4 shortlisted candidates ahead of AIFF's coach announcement

#2 Igor Stimac

Igor Stimac can be the next coach as his salary demands bode well for the AIFF

Going by the current rumours, Croatian Igor Stimac is the favorite to take over the reins from Stephen Constantine as his salary demands are within the AIFF's budget. As a player, he won the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship with Yugoslavia and won the bronze medal with Croatia in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Igor also played in the Premier League with West Ham and Derby County in the late 1990s.

As a manager, he coached top Croatian clubs Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb in the Croatian top flight and UEFA Champions League in the late 2000s before the job of Croatian national team head coach was offered to him.

His performance with Croatian national team in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers was a mixed success. While Croatia qualified for the main tournament by the skin of their teeth- finishing second in their group and as the eighth best second-placed team, the fans didn't like his style of play.

In a popular domestic Croatian newspaper's poll, 98% of the fans wanted him out as the head coach as they defeated their opponents mainly from set-pieces and defensive errors.

After giving his resignation, Igor took charge of the Persian Pro League club Sepahan FC midway through the 2015-16 season. The team was sitting on the sixth position in the points table before his arrival but ended on the eleventh spot.

Then, he took over the reins of Qatar Stars League club Al-Shahania SC midway through the season and saved them from the horrors of relegation. Igor hasn't managed a side since May 3, 2017.