Football: Kerala Blasters sanctioned hefty fine for ISL playoff walkout, coach handed 10-match ban

The Disciplinary Committee of the All India Football Federation, chaired by Vaibhav Gaggar on Friday, imposed a fine of Rs 4 crores on Kerala Blasters FC for walking off the pitch and thereby forfeiting their Indian Super League playoff match against Bengaluru FC at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on March 3.

The AIFF Disciplinary Committee, after hearing all parties involved in the tie and considering their protests and submissions, said that Kerala Blasters are “also directed to issue a ‘Public Apology’ for this unsporting conduct of abandoning the match, failing which the total fine to be imposed on the Defendant team will be increased to Rs 6 crores.”

Kerala Blasters’ actions came after a hotly disputed goal scored by Bengaluru FC from a free-kick. The club filed a protest to the AIFF against referee Crystal John’s decision to allow the goalscorer Sunil Chhetri to take the free-kick that resulted in the goal.

ISL: Chhetri’s cheeky goal, KBFC’s crazy walkout – how an incredible night unfolded in Bengaluru

Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic, who was accused of the offence of abandonment and bringing the game into disrepute, and apparently instigated the team for discontinuing the encounter, has been penalised “with a 10-match ban/suspension from AIFF...

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