Here is all you need to know about Indian Football head coach Igor Stimac, his salary, age and height
India’s exciting penalty shootout victory over Kuwait to win the SAFF Championship thrilled Igor Stimac and everyone connected to Indian football.
Igor Stimac salary, contract, biography, age, height, wife, nationality and football career stats
Given the Blue Tigers’ recent performance and their capacity to constantly compete against teams that have the potential to be problematic, the celebrations were undoubtedly big. Perhaps the two toughest tests for India came from Lebanon and Kuwait, who were invited to compete in the SAFF Championship, but Igor Stimac’s team triumphed with ease.
Despite playing tough opponents like Lebanon, Kuwait, and the Kyrgyz Republic, which they defeated in the Tri-Nation event in Imphal in March, India is also unbeaten in 11 games. Greater obstacles still lie ahead, but Bengaluru’s resounding support for the squad is a sign of the country’s growing optimism.
Igor Stimac, the team’s head coach, is unquestionably the driving force behind their success. He hinted that he would depart after the 2018 Asian Cup, but given the team’s recent success, the AIFF might try to persuade him to stay longer. Stimac has proven to be the appropriate person for the job as India enters a new era, leading us to explore the reasons why he should stay on as the head coach in the long run.
Who is Igor Stimac?
Igor Stimac, a Croatian professional football manager and former player, was born on September 6, 1967, and he currently serves as the football team’s head coach in India. Born on 6 September 1967, he is currently 55 years old.
Born: 6 September 1967 (age 55 years), Metković, Croatia
Teams coached: India national under-23 football team (Association football manager, since 2021), MORE
Spouse: Suzana Žunić (m. 1990–2009)
Nationality: Croatian
Children: Mia Škegro, Ivan Štimac, Luka Štimac, Dea Štimac
Partner: Lana Bucat
Parents: Vladislav Štimac, Ljubica Štimac
Avg. term as coach: 1.32 Years
Preferred formation: 4-2-3-1
Igor Stimac was a centre back for the Croatian team Hajduk Split, where he appeared in over 100 games and scored seven goals. He also had a two-year stay with Spanish team Cadiz, where he scored four times in 62 games. Stimac’s most notable club football experience came at Derby County in England, when he scored a goal against Tranmere on his debut. Derby, however, suffered a crushing 5-1 defeat in the game.
He played in 84 league games for Derby County over the course of four years, in addition to seven FA Cup games and two League Cup games. From 1999 to 2001, he also played for West Ham United, scoring just once during that time. Igor Stimac played 53 times and netted two goals for the Croatian national team at the international level of football. He also played for the Croatian team that took home the bronze medal from the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Stimac also participated in the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship-winning Yugoslavia Under-20 squad. In that competition, he participated in four games and scored twice.
A look at Igor Stimac’s managerial career
Igor Stimac began his management career in 2001 by overseeing the football academy at Hajduk Split. He was also chosen to serve as the team’s director of football. During this time, Hajduk Split claimed two titles in a row—the first in 2003–04 and the second in 2004–05. Stimac was given the task of overseeing the Croatian club team for the final ten games of the 2004–05 campaign. Despite having a difficult time doing it, he managed to win the league title but ultimately lost the domestic cup final to HNK Rijeka.
In order to prevent Cibalia from being relegated, Stimac managed them for a few months in 2006. After the team lost its first seven games, he was chosen to lead the Croatian club NK Zagreb in 2009. Stimac, who prevented Zagreb from being sent to a lower division, left the team after the season.
Igor Stimac was chosen to lead the Croatian national football team on July 5, 2012. He led Croatia to their first-ever international friendly victory over Switzerland. On October 15, 2013, Croatia’s final game under Igor Stimac’s leadership concluded in a 2-0 loss against Scotland. Following the game, he submitted his resignation to former teammate and president of the Croatian Football Federation Davor Suker.
Igor Stimac succeeded Stephen Constantine as the head coach of the Indian national football team on May 15, 2019, following brief management experiences with the Iranian team Sepahan and the Croatian club team NK Zadar. The Indian football team has won three international championships under Igor Stimac’s direction so far: the SAFF Championship in 2021, the Tri-Nation Series, and the Intercontinental Cup in 2023. He has led the Indian team to 16 victories in 39 games.
Why was Igor Stimac shown a red card?
Igor Stimac was given the red card by the referee in the 81st minute of India’s SAFF Championship 2023 group stage match versus Kuwait after being previously warned with a yellow card for handling the ball and stopping play. Additionally, this was his second dismissal from the competition in as many outings.
Igor Stimac, though, displayed no guilt and even predicted getting a second red card. After being dismissed in the opening match against Pakistan, he wrote on Twitter, “I will do it again.”
What is Igor Stimac’s salary?
Igor Stimac is paid USD 24,000 (about INR 19,69,000) every month, according to a statement from the All India Football Federation, the country’s top football governing body. Stimac’s deal with AIFF pays him USD 288,000 (INR 2.36 crore) annually.
Igor Stimac has been in charge of the Indian football team since 2019 and extended his contract till the end of the AFC Asian Cup 2023.