Indian FA accuses sacked Igor Stimac of using astrologer to pick players
- Ex-Croatia defender would not be the first to face accusations of allowing personal beliefs to influence team selection
India’s football federation has accused Igor Stimac of using an astrologer to pick players after sacking him as coach following their World Cup qualifying failure.
The former West Ham and Croatia defender had a turbulent relationship with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) during his five years in charge.
Defeat by Qatar earlier this month ended India’s dreams of reaching the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and his contract was terminated last week.
In his final press conference, Stimac said he had heart surgery because of stress and battled “lies” and people with “private interests” during his tenure.
The AIFF responded late on Monday, with a statement which said the organisation had been “shocked to note his dependence on an astrologer to determine players’ call-ups [and] team selections”, before stepping in to stop it.
A media report in 2023 said Stimac used an astrologer to pick his India teams, a claim Stimac at the time called a “disgrace”.
