THE sacking of chief coach Igor Stimac by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has snowballed into a stormy affair with the Croat volleying caustic allegations against President Kalyan Chaubey and technical committee head I M Vijayan. The AIFF is set to hit back with its own statement but the entire episode once again puts Indian football in poor light, raising several questions. Stimac’s sacking was on cards once the national team failed miserably in the AFC World Cup qualifiers. The coach had vowed to take the team into the third round of the qualifiers which would have been historic for Indian football. But the poor show in the league, first with the talismanic Sunil Chhetri playing his last game and then without him in the next game, ensured that Stimac was ready for departure anytime. In a way, it had come on expected lines but with the Croat firing on all cylinders against the termination, a year ahead of his contractual obligation, another bitter battle of words looms in Indian sports. Under Stimac, the Indian team’s performance was a story of unfulfilled dreams.

 

India won some important games but those were few and far between the long drought of a silverware. He helped India win four major trophies, including two SAFF Championships, one Intercontinental Cup and a Tri-Nations Series. He tried his best to build a good team out of the young blood. With the legendary Chhetri by his side, the coach prepped up the team for a big flight but it only flattered to deceive. The poor run in the AFC championship, Asian Games and in the World Cup qualifiers opened up the gap between India and other Asian teams, something which the AIFF was never to take kindly despite knowing the home truths. By removing Stimac, the AIFF has sent a message that only results count as the time for process is over. But the manner of sending the message also leaves a lot to be desired. A few office-bearers had already jumped the gun by calling for an Indian coach even before Stimac’s contract was over. It sent wrong vibes among the team as well as the coaching staff.

 

The AIFF could have easily brought the parties together for a healthy chat, especially after the Asian Games bad show but it chose to make feelings public through a few officials. Such episodes leave a bad taste in mouth and raises questions about the professional conduct of a big institution like the AIFF. Not that Stimac did not have his own set of mistakes. He also erred in going public many times instead of having a dialogue with the office-bearers. The coach had made an emotional appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the national team’s participation in the Asian Games despite not meeting the selection criteria. The resultant drab performance by the team had ruffled many feathers in the governing body. Another round of attrition seems to be in the offing now off the field.