Because there was no mutual trust between the two parties, I insisted only on one thing to be changed, and that was with regards to clause nine in the contract.
I wanted to make sure that these people would not be foolish enough to sack me, until the Asian Cup is over.
"When Stimac signed a fresh contract on October 5, 2023 – thanks to winning a record three trophies earlier in the year – the termination clause was again missing.
It is this missing clause that has caused much heartburn within the AIFF and now pushed senior officials on the backfoot.Stimac, who had a contract till 2026, was sacked last week.
The coach has termed his sacking unilateral and threatened to file a lawsuit against the national federation in the FIFA Tribunal if the federation fails to clear his dues within 10 days.
Panaji: Former India coach Igor Stimac has cleared the air over the mysterious disappearance of the termination clause in his contract, insisting it was done because there was no trust between him and the All India Football Federation ( AIFF ).Having earlier taken Croatia to no 4 in world football, Stimac was brought in as India coach in May, 2019, when Praful Patel was at the helm of affairs. The former Croatia coach started with some promise, but the Covid-19 pandemic meant a large part of his initial contract duration saw the world locked indoors.When a new regime took charge in September 2022 with Kalyan Chaubey as the president, Stimac felt that the new committee didn’t appreciate his work. Removing the chief coach before the AFC Asian Cup 2023 didn’t make sense, but the federation made it clear that he would get another term only if India made it to the quarterfinals of the continental championship.“That was the clear message and very significant one; after the Asian Cup, I will not be the coach of India (since the last-eight goal was unrealistic),” said Stimac. “To say something like that at that moment made it clear that these people don't prioritise my work, don’t appreciate, and that they have a different opinion of what football should be or look like in India.”Stimac said he reluctantly signed the new contract but insisted on one significant change.“At that time, there were no changes in the contract, apart from one. Because there was no mutual trust between the two parties, I insisted only on one thing to be changed, and that was with regards to clause nine in the contract. I wanted to make sure that these people would not be foolish enough to sack me, until the Asian Cup is over. That clause was changed, and I could focus on my work with whatever I had or whatever were the circumstances at that time,” said Stimac.Clause 9 in his first contract – signed in 2019 – states that if the AIFF terminates the agreement for any reason then it may do so by giving a written three-month notice. “If the AIFF terminates this agreement for any reason or circumstance, it shall be required to pay the head coach an amount equal to the balance monthly fees or three months' salary (whichever amount is larger) as compensation."When Stimac signed a fresh contract on October 5, 2023 – thanks to winning a record three trophies earlier in the year – the termination clause was again missing. It is this missing clause that has caused much heartburn within the AIFF and now pushed senior officials on the backfoot.Stimac, who had a contract till 2026, was sacked last week. The coach has termed his sacking unilateral and threatened to file a lawsuit against the national federation in the FIFA Tribunal if the federation fails to clear his dues within 10 days.
