India’s Football Head Coach Igor Stimac Justifies His Actions At SAFF Championship; Says, “Will Do It Again”

In a recent brawl between India and Pakistan team in the SAFF Football Championship, Indian head coach Igor Stimac was flashed red card. Today, he took stand for his actions and said that the decision was ‘unjustified’. He also said that he will do it again to safeguard his players from ‘unjustified decisions’. The match was won by India with a great score of 4-0 but this argument caught the eyes of the public.

Igor Stimac takes it to Twitter

Stimac shared his feeling via a Tweet which said that he will do it again if he had to protect the boys of his team. He said, “Football is all about passion, especially when you defend the colours of your country. You can hate or love me for my actions yesterday, but I am a warrior and I will do it again when needed to protect our boys on the pitch against unjustified decisions.”

The heated argumentWith two goals from Sunil Chhetri, the home team was leading 2-0 as the rain-soaked first half dragged on. However, Stimac’s brief transgression injected some life into the proceedings.Abdullah Iqbal, a Pakistani player, was about to make a throw-in when Stimac, a coach and player with enormous experience, decided to step in. Stimac attempted to take the ball away from the player, setting off wild responses among some foreign players and coaching staff.

Also read: SAFF Championship: India And Pakistan Indulge In Heated Argument, Indian Head Coach Flashed With Red Card

Stimac had to sit out for the match

To separate the fiercely sparring parties, the match officials, including the referee Prajwal Chhetri, had to step in. As the altercation was put under control, referee Chhetri penalised Stimac for willfully interfering with an opponent’s play by issuing him a red card. Mahesh Gawli, a former India defender, filled in for Stimac on the touchline for the remainder of the game as he was unable to stand on the sidelines. A few players from the Pakistan and India teams also received yellow cards for their uncalled-for interventions in the incident. Gawli, India’s assistant coach, said the red card would seem harsh on his superior, but the referee had to follow the rules after India’s blowout of Pakistan.

“Yeah, it was an offence that if you go by the book often attracts a red card. But yeah, but then we feel that it might have been a bit harsh on the coach,” Gawli had said during the post-match press conference.