Sunil Chhetri 'Did Not Believe' Claims Of Igor Stimac Using Astrology For Selection

Reports stating the then India head coach Igor Stimac using astrology to pick players in the side created a stir in Indian football. India legend Sunil Chhetri recently talked about the incident in a podcast with news agency ANI. (More Football News)

Chhetri said on the podcast that he did not believe that such claims were true and he did not even bother to ask Stimac about the veracity of the reports.

"I did not believe it. And I didn't want to even ask him, honestly. I also have the benefit of knowing as to how he makes a team because we were training under him," the Indian footballer who announced his retirement earlier this year said.

"So for me to fathom this fact that he was also using an astrologer didn't make sense. I am not a believer in astrology, so it made it more easier for me to not go and ask him. If I did believe in astrology, I would have probably gone and ask him but because I don't, I didn't pay that he does it..." Chhetri added.

The All India Football Federation had said that Stimac used astrologer's advice in his team selections.

Stimac was sacked by the AIFF in June this year after having served as the India head coach since 2019. The sacking was preceded by a string of poor performances from the Blue Tigers which resulted in their ouster from the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying race. The termination of Stimac's contract resulted in allegations and counter allegations between the Croat and the AIFF and the issue snowballed into a huge controversy.

"The AIFF also chose to ignore various misdeeds and negative statements of the coach over time, of which there are too many to traverse, only to ensure that India's preparation for FIFA World Cup qualifiers were not hampered. The new AIFF leadership was shocked to note his dependence on an astrologer to determine players' call ups, team selections and took immediate necessary action to end the same. His selection of support staff had also gone unquestioned and was the subject of disquiet among many players," the AIFF had said in a statement in June.