Coach sharing confidential details raises integrity issues: Former India players on Stimac consulting astrologer for team selection | Football News

Raising eyebrows over India coach Igor Stimac consulting an astrologer to pick the starting 11, former India internationals who have turned to coaching said it leads to integrity issues.
Reacting to The Indian Express report, which revealed that Stimac selected teams for the Asian Cup qualifiers last year on the advice of astrologer Bhupesh Sharma, who was paid lakhs the All India Football Federation (AIFF), former players Gouramangi Singh and Steven Dias said confidential details about players should not have been shared with anyone outside the team management.
Gouramangi, a former India defender, added it was an issue of propriety. “More than player selection, the bigger issue is integrity. If the astrologer was given team ls, strategies, and other confidential details then it raises issues of propriety,” he told The Indian Express.

Last year, for Asian Cup qualifiers, #IndianFootball team was picked on advice of an astrologer.
Before each match, coach Igor Stimac shared players’ birth dates, timings and places with the astrologer, who was paid RS 12-15 lakh the AIFF.https://t.co/kBhPrSio
— Mihir Vasavda (@mihirsv) September 12, 2023
Dias, a former winger who is currently the coach of the Jamshedpur FC reserves, said there’s no way team selection should depend on anything else but player performance and team strategy.
“As a coach, I could never select a team based on astrological advice. I feel it’s not fair to the players. Moreover, sharing probable XI and team strategy with someone outside of the setup is absolutely wrong. You don’t know how that information can be used against you,” he said.
While Gouramangi was critical of sharing team ls, he said we cannot question a coach’s beliefs. “We cannot impose our judgments regarding what is right and wrong on this issue, especially about someone’s beliefs. I am not aware of the background but if a coach has his personal belief, then we can’t comment on it,” he said.

Both players were a part of the Indian team in the 2011 Asian Cup.
The Indian Express report revealed that Stimac was in constant touch with the astrologer before every match of the qualifiers, played last year in June. He sought his advice to pick the playing 11, shared substitution strategies and injury details.Most Read
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There were instances where players were dropped because their stars were not favourable, according to the astrologer.
Dias said that as a player, he would be very disappointed if he got to know he hadn’t been selected because an astrologer said so.

“The team management, players, and everyone know how much you have work. They know the capabilities of each player. And players work extremely hard to be a part of the starting XI for every match. If the coach feels you are not up to the mark or decides to exclude you for tactical reasons, it’s fine, but if you come to know you have been excluded because an astrologer said so, then it’s extremely disappointing and demotivating,” he said.