Football
Igor Stimac leaked Indian players' data to astrologer before Asian Cup qualifiers: Report
Stimac was brought in touch with a Delhi-based astrologer named Bhupesh Sharma in May 2022 by then AIFF general-secretary Kushal Das as the latter 'was worried if India would qualify for the Asian Cup'.
Igor Stimac embraces Sahal Abdul Samad during India's match against Mongolia in the Hero Intercontinental Cup 2023. (Screengrab: Disney+ Hotstar)
In a bizarre and shocking revelation, India head coach Igor Stimac allegedly leaked data of the national men's team players to an astrologer in May-June 2022 when India was scheduled to play crucial Asian Cup qualifiers in Kolkata.
According to an Indian Express report, Stimac was brought in touch with a Delhi-based astrologer named Bhupesh Sharma in May 2022 by then AIFF general-secretary Kushal Das as the latter 'was worried if India would qualify for the Asian Cup'.
The report claimed that Stimac passed on the data - the date, time and place of birth of four players - to Sharma to compare their stars before a match. Interestingly, he shared the data without keeping the players in the loop.
Sharma, who reportedly worked for two months with Stimac, was paid around Rs 12-15 lakh, according to Das.
During this period, India played four matches - one friendly against Jordan and three Asian Cup qualifiers.
Stimac changed starting XI following the astrologer's inputs
On May 28, when India was scheduled to play Jordan, Stimac reportedly shared the data of 24 players with Sharma and asked Sharma to compare players' stars with each other for each position.
India lost the match 0-2. It was after this defeat, following a consultation with Sharma, Stimac remoulded his squad for the Asian Cup qualifiers.
Ahead of the Asian Cup qualifiers in Kolkata scheduled between June 8 and 14, they met again. Before the match against Cambodia, Stimac, as he did for the Jordan match, revealed the injury updates of the players and his preferred starting XI. India won the match 2-0.
On June 12, a similar result followed against Afghanistan but India struggled in the match. Stimac and Sharma met again and assessed their pre-match astrological analysis. Before the Hong Kong match on June 14, they followed a similar drill, and India hammered Hong Kong 4-0 and qualified for the Asian Cup scheduled in January 2024.
'Was worried if India would qualify for the Asian Cup': Das
While the then AIFF president Praful Patel denied any knowledge of such practice in the men's team, Das admitted, "I was worried if India would qualify for the Asian Cup and so was Igor, let me be very honest. It was not a comfortable situation. For me, the most important thing was that India should qualify. So I told him (Sharma) that I would put you in touch with the coach and if he likes it, he thinks your services can be utilised, he can get back to me. Igor was very convinced and they were in Kolkata throughout.”
The revelations came at a time when India has been in good form and bound to play in the Asian Games, Merdeka Cup, FIFA World Cup and Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers and the Asian Cup in January.
AIFF recently issued a show-cause notice to Stimac for his remarks on Indian football. The Croatian's contract expires after the Asian Cup in January.
