Indian coach Igor Stimac and AIFF President not on talking terms

The Indian football team exited the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in Qatar with three losses and zero goals on Tuesday after losing to Syria 1-0 in the final group-stage game.

The team led by Sunil Chhetri lost against Australia, Uzbekistan, and Syria conceding six goals in the process and scoring none.

With the team putting on a disappointing show at the continental showpiece, the position of Indian head coach Igor Stimac has come under scrutiny with fans on Social Media asking for his resignation.

While there have been many rumors and speculations at the moment it looks like all is not well in the Indian camp.

The Bridge has learned from one of the sources close to the AIFF that Igor Stimac and Kalyan Chaubey are not on talking terms.

"The Indian head coach Igor Stimac and AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey are not on talking terms since the SAFF Championship last year. The president also didn't talk to the players before the Asian Cup," a source close to AIFF revealed.

The source also claimed that the AIFF President didn't wanted to continue with Igor Stimac while other members supported the Croatian leading to his contract extension till 2026.

AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey was not present during the tournament in Qatar, Doha despite it being the premier competition in which the Indian men's national team participates.

While the Indian team displayed some fighting spirit against the World Cuppers Australia in the first game, the lackadaisical display in the next two games didn't sit well with the fans.

Indian games witnessed a huge chunk of the crowd coming to the stadium in Qatar but the team failed to put on a justified show. The next task for the national team will be to perform well against Afghanistan in the World Cup Qualifiers round two to keep FIFA World Cup 2026 hopes alive.