Yet in the end, the Croatian received the committee's stamp of approval as his critics did not find enough ground to oppose the appointment. So much so that the committee, headed by Shyam Thapa, refused to officially recommend a second choice saying it would only be needed if Stimac's negotiations with AIFF fell through by any chance.

"Stimac was finally recommended but not before some serious questions were raised about the overall success rate of his coaching career. At least one member commented on the Croatian looking more like a public relations expert than a technical man," a source in the technical committee told IANS.