The preparations for the AFC Asian Cup 2023, which will be held in Qatar in January 2024, have sparked a conflict between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and the national team head coach Igor Stimac. The Croatian tactician has demanded a four-week training camp ahead of the continental tournament, but the AIFF and the organizers of the Indian Super League (ISL) are unlikely to agree to his request.
Stimac, who took charge of the Indian team in May 2019, has been vocal about the need for more time to work with his players and create a cohesive unit. The 55-year-old has also pointed out that India's best performances in recent times have come after extended camps, such as the SAFF Championship triumph, where India won all five matches including the final against Kuwait.
The AIFF, however, faces a dilemma over how to accommodate Stimac's demand without disrupting the ISL schedule. The ISL, which is organized by the AIFF's marketing partner FSDL, is likely to kick off around the last week of September 2023 and conclude in April 2024. According to sources, the ISL is expected to take a month's break for Asian Cup training and competition.
"We are waiting for the tentative schedule from ISL to draw up the (training) plan," AIFF secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran told TOI. "We will try for maximum preparations, but one month is absolutely not possible because the window does not permit. We are using all (FIFA international match) windows, and then we have to provide a break during the Asian Cup."
FIFA has three international match windows between September and November 2023, all of which will be filled by the King's Cup (Thailand), Merdeka Cup (Malaysia), and World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
"We have to look at India's best interest and do whatever is possible. Nobody should say that we didn't do enough. But we also have to look at the schedule and see how to strike a balance. As per (FIFA) regulations, we cannot demand the release of players (from clubs) beyond a certain period. The players will be in competition, fitness won't be an issue, so let's see what best we can work out," said Prabhakaran.
India is placed in Group A of the Asian Cup along with Uzbekistan, Australia, and Syria and will kick off their campaign against Australia on January 13, 2024. After winning three titles on the trot India will hope to do well at the AFC Asian Cup but it has teams of very high level like Japan, Australia, and hosts Qatar.
