ISL referees shifted from Goa hotel due to threats; Zico questions Japanese referees
ISL management had to shift its match officials who had officiated in the grand-final to a different hotel owing to security concerns on Sunday. Meanwhile, FC Goa manager Zico has criticized how the officials handled the match while Goa co-owner Dattaraj Salgaocar has stopped just short of bringing match-fixing allegations.
The Japanese referee trio of Yudai Yamamoto, Toru Sagara and Toshiyuki were moved from Regenta Resorts, at Varca, to Leela on Sunday according to AIFF source of Goal.com. The match officials received a lot of flak from Goa players, management and fans after conducting a final where they failed to take control of the game.
Meanwhile, Zico blasted the Japanese officials, and the Brazilian legend, who has managed Japanese club Kashima Antlers, said that he knows how they think during a game.
“I told you that I would not talk about the referees in the first phase of the tournament, because it was a request from the club president and I kept my word. What I think is that the referees didn’t have the sensitivity. I don’t understand why the three Japanese referees were appointed. They have all the strength and power but they appoint these referees for the last three important games. I know these referees like the palm of my hand - the thinking of the Japanese referees.
“I am going to talk about discipline. We played against Delhi who committed 22 fouls and we committed six. They stabbed, they hit our players and they hit our players but no red cards were shown. There is too much talking that happens. The same thing happened in the finals too. The Chennai trainer was hugging the referee like a good friend. You can be given a red card for touching the referee according to the rules. Dudu was taken off, Mandar had a sore knee, Leo Moura as well. Can’t you win the game by playing football? Or you have other ways?
“Am I right in asking my team to play just football? Unfortunately football is about these things. UEFA President (Michel Platini) is banned for eight years from football, my Brazil Federation President (Jose Maria Marin) is in jail and two others are about to be arrested. I hope this doesn’t happen in Indian football,” Zico was quoted as saying by Goal.com.
Meanhwile, Goa co-owner Dattaraj Salgaocar has stopped just short of bringing allegations of match fixing, but claimed that the 'writing was on the wall' once this referee was appointed to officiate the match.
“We have complained about the referees throughout. The other referees are good but it has been poor all across most games. When we saw this referee’s name a day before the final, we thought the writing was on the wall. I am not saying it’s match-fixing. I’m saying its poor refereeing,” said Salgaocar.
