First in ISL: Bagan get closed-door match punishment for crowd misconduct

ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant must play behind closed doors against Odisha FC due to repeated spectator misconduct, a first for an ISL team.

Kolkata: ISL champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant have been asked to play behind partially closed doors against Odisha FC here on Friday for repeated spectator misconduct, a first in the history of the league.

“The club is warned that if an offence of similar nature… and/or any deviation from the undertaking provided occurs…stricter sanctions shall be imposed,” the disciplinary committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has said in its report which HT has seen

The committee amended its earlier decision of a closed stadium following an appeal by the club and a pledge to uphold highest standards of safety and compliance. The club has also been fined ₹50,000.

“We acknowledge the AIFF Disciplinary Committee’s decision on our review petition, modifying the earlier full stadium closure to a partial closure for our upcoming home fixture,” the club said in a terse press release late on Tuesday.

An AIFF statement earlier on Tuesday said the violations go back to the ISL final last April and has continued this term. After the final, Bengaluru FC complained “with supporting evidence” that fireworks had been launched “into the away section from the home stands…with one such projectile striking the Bengaluru FC owner,” the statement said.

The disciplinary committee, an independent body comprising retired Supreme Court and High Court judges, then gave a suspended sentence for one year with Mohun Bagan being told that another infringement would lead to sanctions. The committee was then informed that against Kerala Blasters in the ISL12 opener on February 14 there were “multiple instances of pyrotechnics.”

Mohun Bagan were sent a notice on February 16 and had till February 21 to reply, the AIFF statement said. On February 28, the disciplinary committee considered Mohun Bagan’s “written and oral submissions” and decided on a “full stadium closure” for Friday’s match in accordance with ISL rules, the statement said.

“Fans are one of the key stakeholders of the game, and we appreciate their contribution. However, at the same time, the security and safety of everyone in the stadium is of paramount importance, and it is something that all parties need to ensure,” AIFF deputy secretary-general Satyanarayan Muthyalu said in the statement.