Sacked Stimac warns AIFF: ‘Clear payment or face lawsuit’

NEW DELHI: Sacked Team India head coach Igor Stimac on Tuesday lebelled his dismissal ‘unilateral’ and warned the All India Football Federation of legal action.
Stimac said that if the AIFF doesn’t settle his dues within 10 days, he will approach the FIFA Tribunal with a lawsuit.
Stimac criticized AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey and accused him of repeatedly breaking their contract.
He also blamed Chaubey for the Indian team’s failure to advance beyond the second round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Stimac mentioned that his tenure in India negatively impacted his health, leading to his decision to sever all ties with the AIFF.
“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…,” news agency PTI quoted Stimac as saying.
“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.
On Monday, Stimac was removed from his role as head coach, with the AIFF terminating his contract a year before it was set to expire.
The termination came after the team’s early exit from the World Cup Qualifiers.
Stimac,56, who has had ongoing conflicts with Chaubey, described the AIFF’s decision to remove him without ‘just cause’ as unprofessional and unethical.
“Publishing something like this (his termination) prior to reaching the conversation with me is blatantly unprofessional and unethical,” Stimac said.
Appointed in 2019, Stimac’s contract was extended by the sports governing body until 2026 in October of last year. His new contract, signed on October 5, 2023, lacked a severance clause. If the AIFF has to honor the entirety of his remaining contract, it could cost around Rs six crore.
Stimac further accused the AIFF of various contractual breaches, specifically pointing fingers at Chaubey. He alleged interference in his public statements and team selections for the Asian Games, which he claims compromised the integrity of his decisions as the coach.
“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.”
Additionally, Stimac stated that Chaubey canceled his post-match press conference after the AFC Asian Cup, where India did not secure any victories or score a goal.
The Croatian, who won a bronze medal at the 1998 World Cup, revealed that his dealings with the AIFF have taken a toll on his health over the past two years. The stress and strain have prompted him to hand over all communications with the AIFF to his lawyer, Mr. Radic.
“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.