Football
Igor Stimac moves FIFA against AIFF over breach of contract
Stimac sought compensation till June 2026, when his contract with AIFF was supposed to expire. AIFF had offered him three months' salary at the time of sacking.
Igor Stimac is the former head coach of India. (FILE PHOTO: AIFF)
Igor Stimac, the former head coach of the Indian men's football team, has reportedly moved FIFA over an alleged breach of contract by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
Stimac sought compensation till June 2026, when his contract with AIFF was supposed to expire.
Stimac, who joined the Indian football team in May 2019, got a contract extension in October last year. But he was sacked in June after India failed to advance to the third round of FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers following a goalless draw against Kuwait and a 1-2 defeat against Qatar in the second round.
According to a Hindustan Times report, Stimac filed documents backing his claim to FIFA's legal team.
“It’s all in the hands of my lawyer,” said Stimac. “The case is very simple so I am confident about the final verdict.”
FIFA's Football Tribunal deals with contract-related disputes. It has three chambers: the Dispute Resolution Chamber, the Players’ Status Chamber (PSC) and the Agents Chamber.
At the time of his sacking, AIFF offered him three months’ salary as compensation, which the Croatian coach rejected.
In 2022 and 2023, the three-month compensation clause was eliminated from Stimac's contract paper.
After his removal, Stimac had said he would move FIFA over the non-payment of his dues as per the contract.
As per reports, Stimac was to be paid $30,000 per month till January 2025 and $40,000 thereafter till June 2026 which could amount to nearly Rs 7.5 crore, including interest.
