With coach Igor Stimac undoing the good work he has done with the Indian team with few moments of indiscretion that got him two red and one yellow cards during the SAFF Championship, the national team will now have to face Lebanon in the semifinals of the tournament without the presence of Stimac on the touchline after the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) on Thursday suspended the coach from the semifinal.
“Besides suspending Stimac for one match, the SAFF has forwarded the matter to its disciplinary committee as the use of abusive language had led to direct red card. In effect, the Croat will remain suspended until further notice. The India coach was also asked to submit a written explanation by 5 pm on Thursday,” sources told TOI.
“It’s the rarest of rare cases for a coach, that too a national coach, to get back-to-back red cards. India played really well against Kuwait and when everything is going India’s way, suddenly this happens. He should have acted in the best interests of the team especially after getting a yellow card,” a top club coach told TOI. “He was never like this during the first three years of his India assignment. This could also be because of more pressure on him to bring more laurels.”
He said the presence of the coach on the touchline is vital to the team’s fortunes.
“It could be a change in formation, telling a player to drop back, instructing another to attack. The shape of the team changes with the inputs of the coach. You cannot do the same job if you are in the stands. Even to convey a message, he needs to relay it to the assistant coach. Stimac is also barred from the dressing room which will add to India’s trouble especially while taking on a tough opponent,” the coach added.
A former FIFA referee said that Stimac got a straight red for his bad language. “Even if the referee makes a mistake there are proper channels to register your protest. If there is a decision against a team, the captain can go and protest to the referee during the match and also after the match in writing. Though the protests against points of action won’t stand, it will lead to referee’s evaluation and if the referee is at fault he will face action,” the referee said. “It looks like Stimac will end up with a higher punishment than the one match ban he served for picking up a red card in the match against Pakistan. Otherwise, it will look like the National Federation is supporting him.”
A coach, who has previously worked with the national team, and saw the action live said: “It’s disappointing as consecutive red cards are not good for the team. The coach’s actions rub on the players too as the players also believe that they can do the same. For any coach, the team comes first and he should mind his actions. He made this team so he should ensure that his actions shouldn’t damage the morale of the team.”
A former India skipper, who didn’t want to come on record, also said Stimac’s action could have ripple effects. “If a coach does this, the players will do the same on the field. You have to set an example for the players. Just check how many coaches, at any level, have got red cards like this. We know what happened to (Jose) Mourinho for abusing a referee in the Europa League,” he said.
