In an exclusive conversation with Boria Majumdar, Igor Štimac confirmed he has discussed his stint with Indian football and his plans going ahead with Croatian legend and Ballon d’Or winner, Luka Modrić.
Štimac met Modrić in Croatia, where the coach is taking a break and working on a series of presentations for the All India Football Federation (AIFF) on his plans for Indian football.
“We spoke a lot about Indian football, and he was amazed by what we have done in recent months. He was very surprised that I accepted the India job four years back instead of waiting for a more lucrative opportunity. I explained to him that getting Indian football up is a dream. He knows and understands that such a big country with the world’s largest population has to rise up the ranks in football. It is possible if the proper structure is implemented, especially in rural areas.
The potential is immense. He agrees with me that the FIFA window time for the national team is not enough for us to do well at the international level. Even Croatia, prior to all big tournaments, uses a minimum of four weeks’ time for preparation. That’s something we need to learn from. The Qatar World Cup was different because it was the first time ever the World Cup was played in December, so they had only two weeks’ time for preparation.
It will be nice at some point to get him to speak to our players,” concluded Štimac.