Will AIFF rein in Stimac after his recent run-ins with referees on the sidelines?

After being sent off during the India-Pakistan SAFF Championship match for impeding a throw-in, head coach Igor Stimac was an unrepentant man. “You can hate or love me for my actions, but I am a warrior and I will do it again when needed to protect our boys,” he proudly declared on Twitter.

After being sent off during the India-Pakistan SAFF Championship football match for impeding a throw-in, head coach Igor Stimac was an unrepentant man.

“You can hate or love me for my actions, but I am a warrior and I will do it again when needed to protect our boys,” he proudly declared on Twitter.

On Tuesday against Kuwait, the Croat literally walked the talk, getting sent off again for two yellow cards — one for thwarting another throw-in and the second for relentlessly haranguing the fourth official.

Banished to the stands, Stimac sat with the fans, and at one point even stood with his arms spread out wide like Christ the Redeemer. But the feeling was unmistakable that Stimac should have been that symbol of peace on the pitch.

After the 55-year-old received his marching orders, the match descended into a fracas before an own goal from Anwar Ali denied India a famous win. Sunil Chhetri’s lament summed it up well. “The feeling that comes to my mind is that of a loss,” the skipper said.

It remains to be seen whether the All India Football Association (AIFF) will have a word with Stimac. Shaji Prabhakaran, the AIFF Secretary General, refused to comment and told The Hindu that the matter would be “dealt internally.”