AIFF issues show-cause notice to head coach Igor Stimac for media comments

Indian men's team head coach Igor Stimac was issued a show-cause notice by the All India Football Federation on Saturday for making aggressive comments in media as a breach of the agreement by his employers.

Stimac has been in the news for hitting out at some of the ISL clubs for their unwillingness to release players for the national camp in preparation for the Asian Games, World Cup Qualifiers, and the Asian Cup.

The head coach's bold comments in the media didn't sit well with the top brass of AIFF and he has been asked to respond.

"This is not just about the recent comments but it has been happening for a while now. He is in breach of his agreement with the AIFF. If he has any issues, he could have discussed it with the federation directly rather than going public," a source close to the AIFF told PTI.

Stimac has been at a crossroads with ISL clubs and coaches as earlier also he took social media to request the clubs to release players for the upcoming Asian Games.

The Croatian had released a statement on social media. Stimac had mentioned that Indian football is at a "crucial junction" and had urged the clubs to come together and support the national team, especially with the big tournaments approaching.

India will be traveling to Thailand to play in the four-day King's Cup tournament starting September 7 and it will be followed by the Asian U-23 qualifiers in China, where the team will also compete in the Asian Games starting September 19.

Later in October, India will participate in the Merdeka Cup in Malaysia, while the 2026 World Cup and Asian Cup joint qualifiers are scheduled to begin in November and the Asian Cup in January.

India's U-23 camp was postponed due to clubs not releasing players as only 12 out of 28 players showed up.

East Bengal, Kerala Blasters, Mumbai City, Jamshedpur FC, Punjab FC, and Odisha FC were the clubs that did not release their players at the start of the camp, leaving the team management in a tricky situation and Stimac angry.

(With PTI Inputs)