Reports : Albert Roca, Igor Stimac frontrunners for India’s coach job
Former Bengaluru FC coach Albert Roca and former Croatia national team coach Igor Stimac have reportedly been ahead of everyone on the preference list of AIFF. With India scheduled to play the Kings Cup in less than a month, the association is racing against time over getting a national coach.
With the technical director’s appointment already sealed, the national coach would be decided anytime now but the rich list of applicants is making it tricky for the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to have their pick.
However, as per TOI reports, Igor Stimac and Albert Roca are racing ahead of everyone before the committee would be meeting on Thursday to select India’s next coach. As per the shortlist of the four names, whose profiles would be competing with each other, are Croatia’s Stimac, Spain’s Roca, Sweden’s Hakan Ericson, and South Korea’s Lee Min-sung.
And as per a senior member of the technical committee, the association has been impressed by all of them. “We have coaches of different profiles. Stimac has the most impressive profile and has national team experience. Roca has been in India before and remains a low-risk for everyone, while Lee is the most enthusiastic.Â
“Lee is right now with the South Korean U-23 team and wants to handle a national team on his own. Hakan came across as someone who is focused on his work and let’s not forget he was Sweden coach at the Olympics,” said the member.
Roca definitely would be standing out with AIFF also mentioning him as their preference previously after he had guided BFC to the final of the AFC Cup and Indian Super League (ISL). However, Roca’s lack of proper national experience would be a worry and his expected monthly salary of $35,000 would also need negotiation. To further complicate things, an AIFF official’s recent interview with Stimac showed the former Croatian manager as someone who was “experienced, knew his job and could adjust the quickest.”
“Had Roca not coached in India, he wouldn’t figure among the final shortlist. But we know his personality, we know how attractively he makes his teams play. We know of his record. Stimac has plenty of coaching and administrative experience too,” said another member.
Newly technical director Isac Doru would also be attending the technical committee meeting and would be provided with the profiles of the four coaches after he reached Delhi in the morning. His feedback would be the pivot to the final recommendation.
