Last Updated: September 12, 2023, 20:30 IST
Indian men’s football team head coach Igor Stimac (AIFF)
Igor Stimac said that his dream of making India a football nation is still alive.
Indian men’s football team coach Igor Stimac took to social media to say that his dream of making India a football nation is alive after a report claimed that he picked the national squad for the crucial Asian Cup match against Afghanistan in June 2022 on the advice of an astrologer from Delhi-NCR.
“Target or honest fighter for the betterment of Indian football? The time is coming to put all cards on the table and see how much and who really cares about football in this country. Give it a thought before making up your judgment and thanks once again for your support,” Stimac posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“My dream of making India a football nation is still alive,” he added.
My dream of making India a football nation is still alive.— Igor Štimac (@stimac_igor) September 12, 2023
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Interestingly, it is also said that the astrologer was introduced to Igor Stimac by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
According to the Indian Express report, the then secretary-general of AIFF, Kushal Das has admitted that he introduced the two to each other in May 2022.
“Stimac had sent a list with the names of a probable 11 for the game, which was a must-win to remain in contention for the championship. The match was to take place on June 11, and the list was shared on June 9.
“The astrologer replied against each player’s name with remarks like “Good”, “can do very well. Needs to avoid overconfidence”, ” a below average day”, “a very good day for him but might get over aggressive” and “not recommended for the day”, it said.
India played four matches during May and June 2022. These were against Jordan, Cambodia, Afghanistan and Hong Kong.
The report further said that Stimac shared the list of players with the astrologer before every match. He also shared injury updates and substitution strategies.
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Former Indian players Gouramangi Singh and Steven Dias gave their opinions on the controversial subject.
“More than player selection, the bigger issue is integrity. If the astrologer was given team lists, strategies, and other confidential details then it raises issues of propriety,” Gouramangi said.
“As a coach, I could never select a team based on astrological advice. I feel it’s not fair to the players. Moreover, sharing probable XI and team strategy with someone outside of the setup is absolutely wrong. You don’t know how that information can be used against you,” Dias said.
(With inputs from Agencies)
