East Bengal will go head-to-head against Chennaiyin FC on Monday, with both teams tied at 15 points from as many games, each eager to secure three points in the upcoming clash to stay in contention for the top six.
Carles Cuadrat’s side has failed to capitalise on their Super Cup triumph, managing only one win against Hyderabad and a draw against arch-rivals Mohun Bagan in their last five games. In the previous game against Jamshedpur, despite taking an early lead, they squandered several chances and ultimately lost 2-1.
During the pre-match news conference ahead of the tie against Chennaiyin, when asked about the team’s mental state due to recent ordinary performances and setbacks due to injuries to Jose Pardo and Saul Crespo, the Spanish tactician raised concerns about refereeing standards in the ISL.
“ISL is working hard for football in India, but not in refereeing. It’s a significant issue. The decisions are affecting game results and that’s why we’re in a big problem,” Cuadrat stated.
He added: “It’s happened in three of our last five games. Against Odisha FC, we didn’t get two penalties, so we lost two points. Against Mohun Bagan, there was a clear foul on Nandha inside the box. Again, we lost another two points. In the last match, that foul on Mohammed Rakip, which led to Jamshedpur’s freekick, was never a foul. So, we lost another point. That’s five points we’ve lost, which would have made us strong contenders in the playoff race. The players are giving everything for 90 minutes. It’s not about our players; it’s the decisions that are changing game results.”
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Cuadrat went on: “I have nightmares. In the nightmare I see Rahul Kumar explaining to Crystal John why is Nandha’s incident was given foul, why is Rakip’s action given a foul.”
Cuadrat will miss having his deputy, Dimas Delgado, on the bench as the Spanish assistant coach has been shown a red card for arguing with referee Crystal John during the game against Jamshedpur. The East Bengal coach expressed frustration at Dimas Delgado’s suspension, stating: “Two days ago, Owen Coyle was in the stands, tomorrow Dimas Delgado will be in the stands. Ivan Vukomanović received a 10-game ban, and Manolo Marquez was banned for four games. This is not how you manage Indian football. Punishing people is not the solution. We deserve respect.”
Cuadrat also urged for solutions and he has proposed three ideas for improving refereeing standards in the ISL. He advocated for the return of foreign referees, emphasised the urgent implementation of VAR, and suggested former players be involved in the VAR process to minimise mistakes.
“They said they would have a meeting with the coaches, but it never happened. My solutions are to consult professionals, players, and coaches, to bring back foreign referees as before, and to implement VAR as soon as possible. In VAR, former players should be involved to assist referees, as has been done in La Liga and the Premier League,” Cuadrat concluded.
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