Indian Football Team Head Coach – Igor Stimac – (Image: AIFF)
Igor Stimac who wants to take India to the World Cup, made a request to the ISL Clubs requesting to allow a longer preparation period for international games.
The head coach of the Indian football team, Igor Stimac, made a heartfelt request to all the clubs part of the Indian Super League (ISL). Stimac requested support from clubs believing that Indian football is at a crucial juncture at this point. In the coming months, the Indian football team will be busy with various competitions including the likes of AFC U-23 Qualifiers, Asian Games, World Cup qualifiers and the AFC Asian Cup.
The head coach stated that he wants to put the best players for the matches which in turn means that the clubs will have to think twice regarding the players’ condition and whether the person will be fit enough to go and attend/participate in the international games. This could be mainly due to the rigorous schedule clubs face with the ISL, AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup.
The Indian football team went on to become nine-time champions in the SAFF Championship 2023 after beating Kuwait in a penalty shoot-out.
Stimac believes that having the best players will allow the Indian football team to show the rest of the world the strength of India as a footballing nation.
India looks to be on the right track as far as development in terms of football goes. The inception of the ISL has brought in investment into the sport with the numerous clubs being created with high investments. Along with this, partnerships with other clubs around the world have helped the side in improving the level of competition which in turn will provide the country with much better players.
Since the World Cup draw was made public, I have been extremely restless. I am obsessed with the vision of taking India to that stage. I know it is a long journey ahead and we aren’t there yet, but this is my real dream, and I will do everything I can to get closer to the dream. pic.twitter.com/0FRWvNbSsV— Igor Štimac (@stimac_igor) August 1, 2023
Whilst qualifying for the World Cup might be a bit far-fetched for some, Stimac is outright obsessed with taking the nation to the World Cup. Steps in the right direction will ensure that Indian football will be poised to enter the biggest competition in International football, sooner rather than later.
Stimac looks at the long-term vision of Indian football and has taken initiatives before especially when talking about Indian football and he believes that if his side can get more time to prepare for the international matches, then India can take the game to the bigger sides in Asia.
