'Football is All About Passion...': India Coach Igor Stimac Defends His Actions After Seeing Red vs Pakistan

Indian men’s football teamhead coahc Igor Stimac took to social media on Thursday to defend his actions thatsaw him being sent off during INdia’s SAFF Championship opener again Pakistan, saying thathe would do it again.

Stimac was sent of for interrupting a quick throw-in from Pakistan.

“Football is all about passion, especially when you defend the colours of your country,” Stimac wrote on social media.

“You can hate or love me for my actions yesterday, but I am a warrior and I will do it again when needed to protect our boys on the pitch against unjustified decisions,” he added in his post.

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Assistant coach Mahesh Gawali deputised for him on the touchline after the break

Mahesh Gawli, after the match, said the red card might appear a bit harsh on his senior, but the referee had to go by the book.

“Yeah, it was an offence that if you go by the book often attracts a red card. But yeah, but then we feel that it might have been a bit harsh on the coach,” said Gawli during the post-match press do.

As fo the match, India outclassed Pakistan with a 4-0 victory at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.

Sunil Chhetri netted an early brace before adding another after the break for his fourth international hat-trick, thereby taking his tally to 90 goals. Substitute Udanta Singh then finished the job with the fourth goal late on to sum up a memorable night for the Blue Tigers on their return to Bengaluru after almost six years.

This was India’s one of biggest victories against Pakistan. In the 1999 SAF Games India defeated their rivals from across the border 5-2 with IM Vijayan scoring a hat-trick. Chhetri is the third Indian to find a hat-trick against Pakistan after Puran Bahadur and IM Vijayan.

(With inputs from Agencies)