New Delhi: National coach Bob Houghton may find himself in serious trouble for allegedly hurling racial abuses at one of the referees in the India versus Yemen match in Pune on October 13.
According to All India Football Federation (AIFF) sources, the fourth official for the match, Dinesh Nair, has lodged a written complaint with the match commissioner alleging the British coach had abused him during the half time of the encounter, which India lost 3-6. The match commissioner, Anthony John D’Costa has forwarded the report to the AIFF.
As per Nair’s report, Houghton was upset with the referee’s decision to add two minutes of add-on time with the first half’s play. He came out of the technical area and started arguing with the fourth official.
“I tried to make him (Houghton) understand that it is purely (the) referee’s decision…and asked him to behave…but he started abusing me badly and told me ‘you b****** Indian referees’,” Nair has said in his report to the match commissioner.
The AIFF general secretary, Alberto Colaco admitted he has received the report. “I am forwarding the report to the executive committee,” Colaco told The Telegraph.
Houghton, who is currently in Cape Town, was not available for comments. He was sent repeated text messages in the past couple of days to know his side of the story, but the national coach chose not to reply.
In case the allegations levelled by the fourth official are proven right, the Indian coach could find himself banned for at least five matches, as both Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Fifa take serious offence to any kind of racial remark made by players, officials, referees or spectators during the course of a match.
The article 56 of the AFC disciplinary code says: “Anyone who publicly disparages, discriminates against or denigrates someone in a defamatory manner on account of race, colour, language, religion or ethnic origin will be subjected to match suspension for at least five matches at every level. The body will also impose a ban on his/her entering the confines of any stadium and a fine of at least US $5,000. If the perpetrator is an official, the fine will be at least US $10,000.”
A senior office bearer of the AIFF said: “No one from the AIFF secretariat in Delhi has forwarded the report to me till date. Houghton is a highly respected coach and has done a lot for Indian football. But, if at all, he has uttered such things, it will surely be dealt with as per the AFC and Fifa regulations.”
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