"I cannot blame anyone but the referee who participated in robbing India" - Igor Stimac after India's defeat to Iraq

India suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Iraq in the 2023 King’s Cup semi-final, as Iraq came from behind twice before defeating the Blue Tigers via a penalty shootout on Thursday, September 7.

India took advantage of their strong start, with Naorem Mahesh Singh providing his side with the lead following a well-executed move. However, their elation was short-lived, as Sandesh Jhingan was penalized for a handball, leading to Ali Al-Hamadi converting a penalty and leveling the score at 1-1.

India once again took the lead early in the second half courtesy of a costly blunder by goalkeeper Jalal Hassan.

However, the controversial moment of the match was yet to unfold, as Iraq were awarded a second penalty, with the referee pointing to the spot for Jhingan’s alleged push in the penalty box.

Aymen Hussain converted the penalty to level the score at 2-2, and Iraq ultimately secured victory in the subsequent penalty shootout. Nevertheless, replays revealed that Jhingan was facing the play and the decision to award the penalty was questionable. The Indian players and coaches protested the controversial call but to no avail.

Head coach Igor Stimac, to the surprise of many, opted not to participate in the post-match press conference. It appeared that the Croatian coach was bewildered by the referee's decision, which led to his absence.

However, he candidly expressed his frustrations to media outlet RevSportz, placing the blame on the referee for the pivotal decision that tilted the game in Iraq's favor.

“I didn’t even want to go to the press conference because in the state I’m at the moment after being robbed in such a way, I didn’t want to go there and say the truth. Saying the truth, it’s a very hard thing to do here," Stimac said.

He continued:

"FIFA is promoting fair play and humbleness, and the officials are the first one who needs to behave in such a way. The worst thing for a referee to do is to give something that never happened and to give something he couldn’t see."

"On the big screens on the pitch, there were replays of the incident. We were telling him to look at the screen, which is 20 meters big and he didn’t want to consider it. "

Nevertheless, Stimac expressed his pride in the team's performance, highlighting India's ability to hold their own against a significantly higher-ranked team in Iraq.

"I told the players to be proud of themselves because they gave everything on the pitch. We were twice in the lead. Let’s be honest, they were the better side and played good football because they are technically better."

"Of course, it’s difficult to play, but not impossible. But we deserved to win. Yes, they had more possession and more passes, but we created better chances."

Stimac also suggested that the Iraqi players on the sidelines may have influenced the referee's decision to award the penalty by vocally protesting.

"Their bench was jumping and screaming for penalties for every ball going into the box. I sent Mahesh Gawli (assistant coach) to the press conference because I’d say a few things if I went there. This is terrible. This is not sport, this is not fair play."

"My players gave everything but someone else decided not to let them do it. So, I cannot blame anyone but the referee who participated in robbing India. So, thanks to him, we cannot celebrate this great day. But we can be proud of our players. We can have great hopes for the future, but we need more time together."

"We need to overcome and be stronger than this" – Igor Stimac on the solution to refereeing decisions

Igor Stimac has previously voiced his discontent with refereeing decisions, leading to a two-game suspension following a red card he received for disputing a call during the SAFF Championship.

Touching on how the Blue Tigers can address this challenge, Stimac emphasized the importance of controlling possession. He also believes that achieving this goal depends on him having more time to prepare with the team.

"We need to overcome and be stronger than this. We need to find a way, and the best way is to play better and move the opponents out of the box. That’s why I need time to work with these boys, they deserve it. I don’t care about myself, but these boys, deserve better. Today we had the chance to knock down the 70th-ranked team in the world."

"With one session prior to this game, they were wonderful and gave everything on the pitch. We had more intensity than the SAFF Championship and Intercontinental Cup games. If we had 10 days of preparations, we wouldn’t let the opponents push us into the box and the referees would be able to do nothing. "

The response to Stimac's comments will be intriguing, particularly in light of a recent show-cause notice from the AIFF for his aggressive remarks.

Nevertheless, it's undeniable that the Blue Tigers, under Stimac's guidance, have made significant strides, with this performance serving as a clear testament to the side's progress under the Croatian coach.