AIFF Agrees Contract Extension for Igor Stimac to Continue as Indian Men's Football Team Coach Until 2026

Igor Stimac will continue as the head coach of the Indian men’s football team at least until 2026, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced on Thursday.

Stimac, who has been in charge since 2019 and has helped India win three titles in 2023 alone, will also get a contract extension by another two years if India qualifies for the third round of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.

Mahesh Gawli, Igor’s assistant with the national side, was also appointed as the head coach of the men’s under-23 team.

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“The federation, the members have decided to extend the contract of our national team, Igor Stimac, until the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. We have agreed to this, agreed to continue as one team,” AIFF Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran said during a virtual interaction on Thursday.

“We are seeking to ensure stability in the national team. What we have experienced in the last few months, winning back-to-back tournaments, the performance on the pitch, even in the Kings Cup match against Iraq was great. We can only progress, we can only improve from here. The process cannot be halted in between,” he added.

Clarifying the reason for Stimac’s contract being extended, Prabhakaran said, “Everything is visible on the pitch.”

Stimac, who was also present at the press interaction, said monetary increments were not part of the negotiations regarding staying on as India coach.

“I feel a part of this family. I have huge trust in my staff. I appreciate the AIFF for placing their trust in us. It’s been a busy last three-four days, and we know what is at stake here, we know we need to keep progressing,” Stimac said.

“I think it is also necessary to highlight that we have not negotiated our contracts with any increase in salaries,” Stimac said.

“For me, it was important to ensure that the Federation tied down Mahesh to a longer contract because I can see his passion, his knowledge of the game and how important he is to the team. He has all the qualities to be a great head coach and I am happy that the Federation has given him more responsibility,” he added.

Mahesh Gawali also highlighted the increased ‘responsibility’

“We have a huge depth of talent in the country, and it is necessary to nurture and cultivate it well. I am honoured to have gotten this role. It’s important to recognise Clifford Miranda’s role as well. He did a great job with the team when he was in charge and we could see the result of the work in the team at the Asian Games.”

Stimac’s first agenda, after securing his future at the helm, will be the Merdeka Cup, followed by the World Cup qualifiers.

The AIFF Sec. Gen. sounded positive about India’s chances.

“We have got for the World Cup 2026 qualification. We can very much remain confident that our team will progress to the next round,”

Igor Stimac, on the other hand, remained pragmatic.

“Possibilities and chances there of making an upset in the group which is very strong because Australia is one of the top three countries in Asian football. Uzbekistan is just one level below Australia and has the capacity to hurt anyone and Syria is one level above us,” he said.

When Stimac was asked about the team’s need for more practice sessions together, Stimac said: “I don’t need to remind everyone about the situation at the moment and we cannot change many things until the next ISL season. So for me, the promise was good enough which I got here the last few days from responsible people in the football house. I have a reason to trust them that things will change starting from the next season.”