ISL 2: FC Goa gets more time to respond to code breach charges

The Indian Super League yesterday provided three weeks' extra time to FC Goa to respond to the charges levelled against them for breach of the Disciplinary Code of the All India Football Federation after the unsavoury incidents that happened post the ISL final on December 20.

The ISL Regulatory Commission met representatives of FC Goa here for a preliminary hearing and asked the League authorities to furnish further evidence and witness submission by January 13 after they reiterated the charges against the team management as per the complaint filed on December 22.

FC Goa management will subsequently be given two weeks' time to study the evidences and make their final submission to the Commission by January 27 before the final hearing, which is likely to take place here on February 21, said a media release here yesterday.

The AIFF's Disciplinary Committee had earlier served show cause notice to FC Goa under its Disciplinary Code and ISL Regulations for 'team misconduct', 'offensive behaviour', 'threat to match officials', 'bringing disrepute to the game' and 'public criticism of match officials'.

The Committee had asked FC Goa management to explain why action should not be taken against the Club and its officials for various breaches of its Disciplinary Code after the ISL final played between the Goa franchise and eventual winners Chennayin FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda, Goa last month.

The Chennai outfit won the acrimonious game 3-2, the match-wining goal scored by Steven Mendoza. The victory celebrations of the newly crowned champions turned sour as their marquee player, Brazilian Elano Blummer, was arrested by Goa Police later that night for allegedly assaulting FC Goa co-owner Dattaraj Salgaocar.

The Brazilian was later released on bail by Additional Sessions Judge Vincent Silva, who also allowed him to leave the country. The trouble broke out during the team's post-match celebrations when Elano allegedly assaulted Salgaocar in the presence of FC Goa team members and the other co-owner Srinivas Dempo after Chennaiyin's victory.

But Match Commissioner A K Mamu Koya later submitted a two-page report to the AIFF, saying the "irresponsible and illogical behaviour of some officials of FC Goa" had brought "disrepute to the game of football in India." FC Goa's boycott of the prize distribution ceremony, the fracas that ensued after the match and the ill-treatment of match officials had all been covered in detail in his explosive report to the football governing body.

AIFF's Disciplinary Committee panel later charged FC Goa under its Article 53 (Team Misconduct), Article 58 (Offensive Behaviour and Fair Play), Article 60 (Threat) and ISL Regulation Article 22.2 for boycotting match ceremony, engaging in public criticism of match officials and allegation of match fixing ('or words to that effect') by the club official. They had then been asked to respond to the show cause notice by January 8 before today's meeting has given them further time to respond to the charges.