Report spells more trouble for Goa
Indian Super League (ISL) runners-up FC Goa find themselves in deep waters after match commissioner AK Mamu Koya mentioned in his report that there is no proper evidence that the team’s co-owner Dattaraj Salgaocar was assaulted by Chennaiyin captain Elano after Sunday’s final.
Salgaocar had filed an FIR against Elano with Margao police station alleging that the Brazilian had elbowed him after the match. Elano was subsequently detained but was released on bail late in the night. The incident left the league organisers red faced. Salgaocar’s assertion that the final was pre-decided further infuriated the ISL organisers.
A senior All India Football Federation (AIFF) official said that Koya’s report mentions a verbal duel between Salgaocar and Elano but there was lack of evidence to confirm that the Goa team official was assaulted by the former Manchester City player.
The incident will be heard by the league’s disciplinary panel in January and it is likely that the team will face heavy sanctions. The committee is likely to ask for video evidence to support their decision. Goa are unlikely to get away lightly especially as referee Yudai Yamamoto’s report too indicts them.
The Japanese official has mentioned in his report to the AIFF that he and his assistants Toru Sagara and Toshiyuki Nagi were threatened by Goa officials and players. Yamamoto, who was officiated in top continental tournaments, said he and his assistants were hounded by Goa players and officials immediately after the final whistle and were rescued by Koya.
Goa coach Zico and Salgaocar had accused the organisers of ‘pre-deciding’ the final and particularly targetted Yamamoto. While Zico questioned the appointment of a Japanese official for the final, Salgaocar had said that they knew the result wouldn’t be in their favour the moment they were made aware that Yamamoto would be the referee.
Like the entire tournament, refereeing in the final was pretty contentious but Goa felt they were at the receiving end of quite a few poor decisions by the referee. That resulted in them launching an all-out attack on Yamamoto after the match. Yamamoto has singled out Goa’s kit manager Raju as the ‘most abusive’ person.
The offensive behaviour continued even after the referees retired to their room. Yamamoto said he and his assistants had to lock themselves up inside the room for close to three hours as the officials continued to threaten them. The 33-year-old referee has alleged that they were chased after they left the stadium too and could leave the room only after armed security officials guaranteed them safety and took them to a different hotel.
