IFA gets tough on on-field violence, 13 suspended

In an unprecedented move, the Indian Football Association (IFA) today spelt out punishment for 13 footballers of city outfits Mohun Bagan, E...

int(2)

In an unprecedented move, the Indian Football Association (IFA) today spelt out punishment for 13 footballers of city outfits Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting along with three club officials for on-field violence, assault on referee and other indisciplines committed during two Kolkata Super League matches.

The IFA disciplinary committee, which held a meeting this afternoon, imposed fines ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000 on the 13 players and also suspended seven of them for one match. “The players will have to pay up the fines by October 31, failing which they will remain suspended till making the payment,” IFA secretary Subrata Dutta told newspersons here. Barring two Sporting players – skipper Dipendu Biswas and Hossain Mustafi who were let go after being cautioned — the rest of the 15 footballers summoned by the IFA were awarded punishment “as per the intensity of their offence,” he said.

Altogether six Bagan players and four East Bengal footballers were brought to books for their September 4 match while three Sporting players were punished for ground violence during their tie against East Bengal on August 19.

Story continues below this ad

Bagan’s Brazilian striker Jose Barreto and East Bengal’s Nigerian forward Mike Okoro, who appeared before the committee today, were both handed out one match suspension and Rs 30,000 fine for manhandling referee Subrata Sarkar during the match.

Those handed out punishment, which would be effective from the date they receive the letter, however, would be given chance to appeal before the governing body of the IFA against the decision, Dutta said. Besides Barreto and Okoro, the two others to get the maximum punishment of one match suspension and Rs 30,000 fine were Bagan’s Mehtab Hossain and Sporting’s Zahir Abbas. Bagan defender Lolendra Singh and East Bengal rearguard Deepak Mondal, who had initiated the brawl during the derby clash, were both charged only Rs 10,000 considering the fact that they faced suspension for two matches after being shown red cards and missed two more games till announcement of the IFA decision.

The three officials — East Bengal team manager Swapan Bal, official Debabrata Sarkar and Bagan’s manager Om Jhunjhunwala — were all debarred from entering the player’s arena for one match. Bal was also fined Rs 10,000.

The Bagan players to receive the punishment were Barreto (one match suspension and Rs 30,000 fine), Mehtab Hossain (one match suspension and Rs 30,000 fine), Marcos Pereira (Rs 20,000 fine), Lolendra Singh (Rs 10,000 fine), Basudeb Mondal (Rs 10,000 fine) and Abhay Kumar (Rs 10,000).