Sunil Chhetri Opens up About Claims of Igor Stimac Using Astrology for Team Selections

Add as a preferred source on Google

Indian football icon Sunil Chhetri has strongly refuted the claims that former national team coach Igor Stimac used astrology to select players for the India football team.

This controversy surfaced earlier when reports suggested that the All India Football Federation (AIFF) acknowledged Stimac's use of an astrologer for team selection, stirring debate in the Indian football community.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Chhetri revealed that he never felt the need to confront Stimac about the allegations, as he simply did not believe in astrology. "I did not believe it. And I didn't want to even ask him, honestly. I also have the benefit of knowing as to how he makes a team because we were training under him," Chhetri said.

The 40-year-old legend added, "So for me to fathom this fact that he was also using an astrologer didn't make sense. I am not a believer in astrology, so it made it more easier for me to not go and ask him. If I did believe in astrology, I would have probably gone and asked him but because I don't, I didn't pay that he does it."

Despite the controversy, Chhetri emphasized his long-term involvement with the team, having trained under Stimac for an extended period, making the notion of astrology-based team selections hard for him to accept.

The claims surrounding Stimac's methods became even more contentious when the AIFF officially dismissed the coach in June 2024, following India's underwhelming performance in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification campaign.

The AIFF issued a statement acknowledging concerns over Stimac's reliance on an astrologer for player call-ups and selections. Additionally, the statement pointed out other "misdeeds" and negative statements associated with Stimac, which had been overlooked during his tenure, to avoid hampering preparations for the World Cup qualifiers.

"The AIFF also chose to ignore various misdeeds and negative statements of the coach over time, of which there are too many to traverse, only to ensure that India's preparation for FIFA World Cup qualifiers were not hampered," the AIFF said in June.

Stimac's contract termination marked the end of his four-year tenure as the head coach, during which India failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The Croatian was replaced by FC Goa's Manolo Marquez in July 2024.