Former National Coach of Croatia Mr Igor Stimac is appointed as the Head Coach India football Team
The Executive
Committee of the All India Football Federation has appointed Mr. Igor Stimac as
the Head Coach of the Men’s Senior National Team on a two-year contract.
Mr. Stimac comes
with an experience of over 18 years in coaching, structuring, and developing
Football and players in Croatia, and internationally.
As a Coach, Mr.
Stimac’s major achievement was guiding Croatia to qualify for the FIFA World
Cup Brazil 2014. During his tenure as the National Coach of Croatia, he handed
National Team debuts to the likes of Mateo Kovacic, Ante Rebic, Alen Halilovic,
and Ivan Perisic, amongst others.
He also played a
pivotal role in developing likes of Dario Srna, Daniel Subasic, Ivan Strinic,
Kovacic, Perisic, and other players.
His last
assignment was with Al-Shahania Club in Qatar.
As a player, he
was part the of the Croatia National squad which finished third in the FIFA
World Cup France 1998, and a member of the Croatia National squad which
qualified for the quarterfinals of the UEFA European Championship 1996 (Euro)
in England.
Besides, he was
also a part of the Yugoslavia U-19 National Team which won the FIFA U-20 World
Cup Chile 1987.
Welcoming Mr.
Stimac to Indian Football, Mr. Praful Patel, President, All India Football
Federation said: “Igor is the right candidate to coach the Blue Tigers. I
welcome him on board. Indian Football is going through a transition, and I am
confident his vast experience will guide us to higher echelons.”
Mr. Kushal Das,
General Secretary, AIFF felt “Indian Football would benefit immensely under
Igor Stimac.”
“His credentials
as a coach, and experience as a player are sure to add immense value to the
players, and the Indian Football ecosystem. The momentum gained needs to be
sustained,” Mr. Das said.
Mr. Shyam Thapa,
a former India International player, also a member of the bronze-medal winning
squad in the 1970 Asian Games, and currently the Chairman of the Technical
Committee mentioned that “Mr. Stimac’s recommendation was unanimous.”
“All the members
of the Technical Committee including the AIFF Technical Director Mr. Isac Doru
were immensely impressed, and convinced about him being best suited for the
job. He is a World Cupper, and has guided Croatia to World Cup as a coach. Who
else could have been a better candidate?” he quipped. “He also impressed us
with his extensive research on Indian Football.”
Mr. Stimac’s
first assignment will be the Kings Cup in Buriram, Thailand where the Blue
Tigers play Curacao in their first match on June 5.