In the first match of the ISL Payoffs of this 2022-23 season, Bengaluru FC hosted Kerala Blasters in the first knockout match to seal a place in the semi-finals. The hype surrounding the match was huge as Kerala Blasters are one of the most supported ISL teams and on the other hand, Indian captain Sunil Chhetri has a huge fan base.
The match was equally contested by both the teams as expected and the game was held to a goalless draw in the 90 minutes. But it was in the first half of extra time, that drama started to unfold. In the 96th minute, Bengaluru FC got a free kick. The Kerala Blasters FC goalkeeper was trying to make a wall and was way off his line. Experienced Sunil Chhetri took this opportunity and took the free kick quickly and beat the goalkeeper to take a 1-0 lead in the tie.
However, this decision didn’t go well will the Kerala Blasters as their coach Ivan Vukomanovic called his players to walk off the pitch. The whole team went straight into the dressing room and abandoned the match. They gave up without a fight with 25-30 minutes of play still left.
ISL Playoffs: Kerala Blasters walk off the pitch and abandon the match against Bengaluru FC
This is a never-seen-before event in ISL as no other team has walked off the pitch in protest of a referring decision. There will surely be a huge consequence of this for the Kerala Blasters.
Madness in the #HeroISL 🤯
— The Bridge Football (@bridge_football) March 3, 2023
Ivan Vukomanovic storms off with his Kerala Blasters players after Sunil Chhetri scores from a 'disputed' free-kick, even as referees and Bengaluru FC players wait for them to return!
Major ramifications to come, one would expect!#IndianFootball ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/5JTsdn1DEt
Bengaluru FC players waited on the pitch as their opponents went into the dressing room. Sunil Chhetri’s team was on the pitch for the full 120 minutes before the referee blew the final whistle.
The ISL rules and regulations regarding this strange situation are still unknown but for sure, but the consequences will be grave. There have been many referring errors this season, but disrespecting the officials and the league in this manner won’t go down well.
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