Igor Stimac's record with Indian team has been mediocre so far but the Croatian's playing style has been positive and is expected to get the results in the future.
Follow Us
Igor Stimac is expected to be handed a one-year contract extension as the head coach of the Indian national men’s football team, according to the renowned sports journalist Jaydeep Basu. And the All India Football Federation (AIFF) technical committee is expected to make the announcement on Monday. The Croatian took charge of the Indian football team on 15 May 2019 and was given an uncharacteristic three-month extension recently, which prompted many to think that his time with the Blue Tigers might be coming to an end.
The 53-year-old was in charge of the side during the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers. Although the Blue Tigers were out of contention for World Cup qualification early on, they managed to finish third in Group E behind Qatar and Oman and book a place for the third round of Asian Cup qualifiers.
Stimac came to India as one of the most high-profile coaches in its footballing history but two years after his appointment he hasn’t had the best of times with the team. His side managed to register just two wins in fifteen games, drawing six and losing seven. The win percentage is just 13. However, there is no denying the fact that the Croatian has had to face problems that no previous Indian football team coach had to endure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the unsuitable circumstances, he managed to achieve the goal of qualifying for the third round of 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers.
India managed to register just one win in the World Cup qualification campaign, leading to questions being asked about Stimac’s future. However, Stimac is having the support of the players and they seem to have confidence in him. It is also to be noted that under Stimac India played 50% of its matches against teams who were placed higher in the FIFA ranking. India managed three draws in eight of those games, a decent record considering the fact that the Blue Tigers were the underdogs in those matches. However, India’s record against lower-ranked sides haven’t been great. In those seven matches, India managed to register just two wins, three draws, and two losses.
With the Asian cup qualifiers coming up India will have to try and improve those stats as they will face lower-ranked teams, therefore they need to get some positive results, and now is the time that the Croatian coach starts getting the results. Although the record is mediocre, his philosophy and playing style has been positive. The former central defender is trying to play an attacking brand of football and has given opportunities to a number of talented and creative youngsters. And that might have compromised on the teams defensive solidity which was very much evident in the previous coach Stephan Constantine’s setup. It will be interesting to see how the future of the team pans out in the next one year under Stimac.
