Indian coach Igor Stimac: Ahead of India’s clash against Belarus in a friendly contest in preparation for the Asian Games qualifiers, Igor Stimac spoke in an interview.
‘International football is more demanding than ISL’
The gaffer discussed the physical demands required for international football and how it differs from club football.
“On the five or six times we did, we couldn’t put the ball behind the defence, instead gave them (Bahrain) good training.
“International football is more demanding, especially when we are playing higher-ranked teams. There is a huge difference in energy levels. I understand the players are mentally exhausted from staying in a bio-bubble for long. But I want my players to get used to such energy levels of playing in international football,” Stimac said.
Indian coach Igor Stimac: on Belarus
Stimac also mentioned the quality of opposition they are set to face in the upcoming fixture and is anticipating a much more attacking team.
“You could see that we were out of energy in the last 10 minutes against Bahrain. That is what makes the difference between ISL pace and international football.”
“Belarus are a very well-known opposition to me. They are much more technical than Bahrain and have recently played against higher-ranking teams such as Belgium and Wales. They play much more defensive and counter-attacking football. But I don’t see them being that much defensive against us,” the Croat said.
Indian coach Igor Stimac: ‘There will be big changes’
The former Hajduk Split manager has also informed us that there would be changes in the squad for the upcoming fixture.
“There will be big changes for the Belarus game, some of them as a result of not good enough performance from some players in the previous game. Some of it to provide an opportunity for those who I count for the future,” Stimac said.
