- By Himanshu Badola
- Tue, 12 Sep 2023 03:21 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Indian football team coach Igor Stimac picked the national team's squad for the crucial Asian Cup match against Afghanistan in June 2022 on the advice of an astrologer from Delhi-NCR, according to a report.
As per the report, an astrologer helped India coach in team selection before four crucial matches, which included Asian Cup qualifiers last year.
Between May and June India contested a friendly against Jordan followed by three Asian Cup qualifiers against Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.
The Astrologer, Bhupesh Sharma was reportedly paid money after introducing him to Stimac by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
“Bhupesh was recommended to me and I was convinced (by others) that I have to check upon his possible effects in sports…No more than that. I requested another foreign assistant coach which was never even considered and was shocked to find out the size of Bhupesh’s contract." Stimac said.
Ahead of the friendly against Jordan on the 28th of May, Stimac reportedly sent a text to Sharma, seeking his council on the selection of the players in accordance with their stars. And when the astrologer sent his verdict on it not being an ideal day for a particular attacking midfielder, the player was benched from the starting lineup on the day.
Stimac reportedly met with Sharma before India’s fixture against Hong Kong, which the Blue Tigers ultimately ended up winning and sealing qualification.
The former player Gouramangi Singh said that confidential details about players should not have been shared with anyone outside the team management.
The report also added that Stimac was in constant touch with the astrologer before every match of the qualifiers last year, having also taken his advice in picking the playing 11. He also shared substitution strategies and injury details with him.
“More than player selection, the bigger issue is integrity. If the astrologer was given team lists, strategies, and other confidential details then it raises issues of propriety,” the former defender Gouramangi was quoted as saying by Indian Express.
Stimac added notes such as player fitness updates so that the astrologer could give his take on the prediction of the ‘time’ of the player, during game time.
The coach, however, did not reveal the names of the payers to the astrologer, so as to not leak team information.