Indian football coach selected his team after giving the astrologer information about his players: Asian Cup prelims 2023
Football Federation brought astrologer Sharma, according to coach Stimac; ex-official claimed Sharma was paid “Rs 12–15 lakh.”
Igor Stimac, the head coach of India’s national football team, sent this message to Bhupesh Sharma, an astrologer from Delhi NCR, who had been introduced to him by a senior All India Football Federation (AIFF) official, on June 9, 2022, 48 hours before India was due to play Afghanistan in a crucial Asian Cup qualifying match in Kolkata.
The “list” Stimac was referring to contained the names of the probable starting 11 for the match, which India, who were injured and out of form, needed to win in order to keep their hopes of winning the prestigious continental championship, alive.
With his comments against each name, the astrologer replied within hours: “Good” and “can do very well.” Needs to curb his arrogance; “a day below average;” “a great day for him but he might become too aggressive”; “not recommended for the day.”
When India’s selection for the match was announced an hour before the game on June 11, two well-known players whose stars weren’t favorable, according to the astrologer, did not make the cut.
This was not a one-off discussion.
between fact, there are about 100 communications that claim to have been exchanged between Sharma and Stimac, a former Croatian international, between May and June 2022. During this time, India played four games: a friendly against Jordan, three Asian Cup qualifying matches against Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.
The communications demonstrate that Stimac and Sharma spoke before each game. These texts pose ethical concerns because sharing sensitive team information with a “outsider” carries the possibility of it being exploited, casting doubt on the fairness of the Indian squad’s selection process.
All player names have been omitted to safeguard their identities in the reported communications, which The Indian Express has reviewed. The purported messages show a telling pattern:
Prior to selecting his team for each game, Stimac asked the astrologer for advice. He also supplied updates on injuries and substitute plans.
Stimac wrote: “Hello dear Bhupesh, it was a joy meeting you and talking about future projects! I respectfully ask that you comment on the players listed below. He continued by disclosing the birthdates, places, and times of four players, three of whom competed for India at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Prior to a friendly match against Jordan on May 28, 2022, Stimac distributed a list of 24 players with the same information. Following Sharma’s advice, Stimac revealed two players’ fitness information and expressed concern about their injuries.
Astrologer Sharma informed Stimac in another conversation that it wasn’t a “ideal day or phase” for an attacking midfielder. Then Stimac asked Sharma to compare the player’s star rating to those of three other attackers. Within minutes, Sharma responded, ranking the questioned player third on his list of preferences. The player who entered the game against Jordan as a replacement in the second half did not start.
Stimac hinted at changing the lineup for the Asian Cup qualifiers after India’s defeat in that match on May 28 and spoke about a few players’ individual performances. He also said that against a team like Jordan, “we can’t consider our physically weak players even if they are in great phase.”
We cannot compete on the basis of race or body type in such high-intensity games, Sharma said. Additionally, Indian football has a dismal history. It took a century for cricket to get to where it is now.
The pair arranged to meet and talk “two days prior” to each game for the Asian Cup qualifying matches held in Kolkata from June 8 to June 14*.
Stimac provided his ideal starting lineup and a list of backup players ahead of the team’s opening qualifying match against Cambodia on June 8. Three players, he continued, “are recovering from injuries, so we would like to save them for (the) second game.”
Sharma sent Stimac the following message on June 12, the day after India’s grueling 2-1 victory against Afghanistan in the second game: “Do let me know how close we were in this match player analysis as per charts when you get free.”
Everything was perfect, Stimac said. “I’ll explain to you when we meet,” he added. Stimac and Sharma met the following afternoon to discuss India’s starting lineup versus Hong Kong. India won the match and earned a spot in the Asian Cup.
Calls and messages were not returned by astrologer Sharma. At the time of this interaction, AIFF President Praful Patel told The Indian Express that he “was not aware or told” about the problem.
Kushal Das, the AIFF’s then secretary general, acknowledged introducing Stimac to Sharma in May 2022.
“We connected at a meeting. He (Sharma) had experience working for numerous telecom businesses and Bollywood celebrities. They said that player phases and astrological times could influence people’s decision-making, according to Das, who spoke to The Indian Express.
Igor and I were both concerned about India’s chances of qualifying for the Asian Cup, he said. It was not a pleasant circumstance. The qualification of India was, in my opinion, the most crucial factor. I thus informed him (Sharma) that I would connect you with the coach, and if he liked it and thought your services could be used, he may get in touch with me. They remained in Kolkata the entire time, and Igor was firmly convinced.
Stimac responded, “Bhupesh was recommended to me and I was persuaded (by others) that I have to check upon his possible effects in sports… ” when asked why he used the astrologer and followed his recommendations. Nothing more, please. I asked for a different foreign assistant coach, which was never even taken into consideration, and I was startled to learn how long Bhupesh’s contract was.
When questioned about Sharma’s contract, Das responded, “We paid him roughly Rs 12–15 lakh because we utilized his expert skills for two months. Given that India had already qualified for the Asian Cup, that didn’t seem like a lot.
When informed of the chat, Das said he was unaware of the specifics of Stimac and Sharma’s conversations. I have never discussed team selections with the coach or anyone else in my twelve years with the AIFF, according to Das.
In any case, Patel’s leadership of the AIFF came to an end last year after a turbulent period in which FIFA barred India because of governance problems. At the same time, Das, who had served as secretary general for more than ten years, also announced his resignation, citing health issues.
Kalyan Chaubey, the current president of the AIFF, did not respond to a message requesting his remark, while general-secretary Shaji Prabhakaran declined to comment when questioned about the conversations between the coach and astrologer.
These disclosures occur as the Indian team’s performance soars as it enters the top 100 worldwide.
The Indian Super League teams have resisted releasing players for the national squad for major international assignments, like the Asian Games starting next week, and Stimac is currently locked in a fight with them.
