Igor Stimac leaves India to manage Bosnian champions Zrinjski Mostar, aiming for success in Europe.

Igor Stimac has gone from one end of running a football team to the other, from a game every three months to one every three days. The former Croatian defender, who was a member of the team that placed third in the 1998 World Cup, is back in management with HŠK Zrinjski Mostar, one of the most renowned teams in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the league champions, after leading the men's team of India from 2019 to 2024.

Speaking from his new accommodations in Mostar, Croatia, two hours away from his hometown of Split, Stimac remarks, it's quite the change. Moving countries, playing almost 40 games in four competitions this season, including the Conference League, and adding new players are only a few of the things that require a mental shift. But after recuperating for a while and spending time with his family, he feels ready for this assignment.

After being let go by India in June 2024, Stimac last month agreed to a two-year deal with Zrinjski, a club founded by Croats in 1905. In his 20-year coaching career, the former Croatian coach has taken three two-year breaks, but this is not the longest. He claims that he would rather wait than take any job offer or change jobs every year.

He came into Zrinjski's field of sight after they lost to Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League qualification play-off, according to Stimac, who was waiting and considering bids, including one from a past Asian Cup finalist. To ensure they advanced to the Conference League group stage and received the €4 million incentive from UEFA, they needed him right away.