The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Igor Stimac reached an agreement over compensation fees on Sunday, September 8. The former men's head coach will be paid USD 400,000 for having his contract terminated before the expiration date in June 2024.
Stimac demanded a two-year salary (USD 920,000) as compensation after he was sacked from his role by the AIFF. But India's apex football body refused his demands and countered it with a proposal of three months' salary and then with five and ten months' salaries, which the foreign coach reportedly rejected.
The Croatian also threatened to sue the federation if his demands were not met within 10 days of his sacking. Both Stimac and AIFF triggered a war of words before both parties finally came to an agreement on Sunday.
"The AIFF top brass has approved payment of USD 400,000 as compensation to settle the issue with AIFF," a source told PTI on Sunday.
The 57-year-old Stimac was sacked after India failed to secure the final round of qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Blue Tigers suffered a questionable defeat against Afghanistan in the second qualifier round after failing to score a single goal in the AFC Asian Cup tournament.
Stimac was appointed as a head coach in 2019 and his contract was extended until 2026 despite below-expectation performances by the Indian team. Notably, the men's senior football side have failed to register a single win and have managed to find the back of the net on just two occasions in 2024 triggering a sharp decline in their standings in the FIFA rankings.
FC Goa's Manolo Marquez succeeded Stimac as India's head coach but was off to an awful start. India failed to score against 179-ranked FIFA side Mauritius in their opening Intercontinental match last week and are currently placed 124th in the FIFA rankings.
