Stimac: India will play 10 friendlies in Europe next year
The HinduDescribing Sunil Chhetri as ‘once-in-a-decade’ player, Indian football team head coach Igor Stimac on Friday said he does not see any one replacing the talismanic captain in the next five years. It has to be a team effort.” Talking about 35-year-old Chhetri’s influence in the team, Stimac said, “His influence is amazing, but he is a guy who never crosses the line. We played five games and conceded only five goals — a big improvement from the last one where we conceded 18,” said the former defender who was a part of the bronze winning Croatian team in the 1998 World Cup. “We are collectively not happy to not have won against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, but things will change.” Stimac said he would want to develop a team which will mature and ensure India become a strong contender to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.