“Clear Payment Within 10 days Or…”: Sacked India Football Coach Igor Stimac Warns AIFF

Terming his sacking “unilateral”, former India football coach Igor Stimac on Tuesday threatened to file a lawsuit against the national federation in the FIFA Tribunal if it fails to clear his dues within the next 10 days. Stimac lashed out at All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey and accused him of breaching his contract multiple times.

He also held him squarely responsible for the Indian team’s failure to progress beyond the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The Croat said his stint in India left him with serious health problems and he never wants to hear from the AIFF again.

“I kindly ask you to immediately, but not later in next ten (10) days, organize payment to me for this termination of the contract without just cause in the amount which will represent a residual value of my employment contract that was prematurely terminated from AIFF side…,” Stimac said.

“This amount should represent the remaining value of my employment contract prematurely terminated by the AIFF, in accordance with Article 6 of Annex 2 of the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

“Otherwise, I will start proceedings against the AIFF before the competent FIFA Football Tribunal and file a lawsuit,’ he added.

Stimac was on Monday removed as the head coach of the team, the AIFF terminating his contract exactly a year before it was to expire in the wake of the side’s ouster from the World Cup Qualifiers despite getting a relatively easy draw.

The 56-year-old Stimac, who has been at loggerheads with Chaubey for a while now, blasted the AIFF in a notice for removing him from the post without “just cause”.

“Publishing something like this (his termination) prior to reaching the conversation with me is blatantly unprofessional and unethical,” Stimac said.

Stimac, who was appointed as the head coach in 2019, was given an extension until 2026 by the sport’s apex body in October last year.

In the absence of a severance clause in his new contract signed on October 5, 2023, if the AIFF is required to pay the entirety of his remaining contract value, it will amount to a whopping Rs six crore.

Pointing out the “several acts of contract breach” by the AIFF side in the past, Stimac charged Chaubey with “changing my public statement given to AIFF media”.

“President Mr Chaubey together with SAI (Sports Authority of India) officials changed my official players list for the Asian Games adding three senior players and allowing ISL clubs to decide which players will represent the country at the Asian Games,” Stimac blasted Chaubey.

“The way you organised the travel for our team going to China and back was unforgettable.” Stimac also alleged that Chaubey cancelled his press conference which was supposed to happen after the AFC Asian Cup where India failed to win any match and score a single goal.

The Croatian, a bronze medal winner at the 1998 World Cup, said dealing with AIFF has affected his health in the last two years.

“Hereby I am adding my lawyer Mr Radic to take over our communication because I don’t want to speak or hear from AIFF anymore because AIFF has caused me enough health problems with its acts against me in the past two years.

“Your ‘show cause notice’ and ‘final warning letter’ did stop me from speaking the truth to Indian fans and it did give me two stents just prior to the AFC Asian Cup but didn’t stop me (from) giving it all to my team and fighting with my boys for the country.

Finally, he said the mess that Indian football finds itself it at the moment was not created by him or his staff.