The outspoken coach also took aim at AIFF Technical Committee head and India great I.M. Vijayan, saying he is not fit for the job. “I.M. Vijayan was a fantastic player, but he is not the person to head the national federation’s technical committee,” he said.
Stimac, who was part of Croatia’s team that won the bronze medal at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, said he has been sacked as a coach for the first time in his career.
“It was impossible for me to continue without enough support. I was fed up with the lies, the unfulfilled promises, and being surrounded by people who are only thinking about their own interests,” Stimac said from Croatia.
The 56-year-old revealed that he was given a final warning before the Asian Cup merely for trying to convince the AIFF about the importance of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Stimac said that the meeting resulted in him going to the hospital and undergoing surgery to treat a heart condition.
“I was disturbed with everything going on; stressed from the obvious problems. I had immediate surgery on my heart. I wasn’t ready to speak to anyone or find excuses. I was ready to put myself on the line to prepare my team for the Asian Cup to give the best shot,” Stimac said. “AIFF never consulted me for finalizing matches,” he added.
The AIFF terminated Stimac’s contract following a series of poor results. But Stimac blamed it on the federation, saying its president never consulted him before finalizing the team’s matches. Stimac also said there is no mutual trust between the AIFF and FSDL (Football Sports Development Limited), the federation’s commercial partners who organize the Indian Super League, the country’s top-tier football league.
“I was very angry with them (AIFF) at that time. I said to them either we separate our ways or they show the trust. They only care about what’s there on social media. They are not concerned about other things. These new guys (the dispensation under Chaubey) who entered the football house know nothing about football. All words, no action,” Stimac said, adding that there is no clear structure and stability in Indian football, thanks to the AIFF.
