ISL 2023-24: Top controversies of the Indian Super League this season

The league stage of the 2023-24 Indian Super League season came to an end with Mohun Bagan Super Giant winning the league shield after beating Mumbai City FC in the final league game on Monday.

All six playoff spots are also set, with Chennaiyin FC securing the final berth ahead of East Bengal FC. Odisha FC, Kerala Blasters and FC Goa will also fight it out for a place in the semifinal.

The league stage saw quite a lot of controversial moments unfolding. Let’s have a look at a few of them.

Red cards galore in MCFC vs MBSG game

The ISL encounter between Mumbai City FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant at the Mumbai Football Arena saw seven red cards being dished out.

Jason Cummings gave the Mariners a 25th-minute lead utilising the advantage after Mumbai fullback Akash Mishra was shown red in the 13th minute.

MCFC hit back in the 44th minute, Greg Stewart heading in across from Bipin Singh. MBSG was also reduced to ten men when Asish Rai was given the marching orders, but things got worse three minutes later when Liston Colaco was sent off for aggressively approaching the referee after he blew for a foul.

Stewart returned the favour in the 73rd minute, providing the assist for Bipin’s goal. He then became the fourth player to be sent off after seeing a second yellow for simulation. Mumbai’s Rahul Bheke, Vikram Partap Singh and Bagan’s Hector Yuste were also shown red for their brawl after the full-time whistle was blown. 

Snoopgate – MCFC vs FC Goa

FC Goa’s training session at the Neville D’Souza ground in Bandra West ahead of its clash with Mumbai City had an unwanted visitor, raising eyebrows of the coach and the team management.

The individual was found to be a MCFC analyst who was analysing the training session after the allotted time for the media had ended.

When asked about Borja Herrera’s injury in the pre-match presser, FC Goa manager Manolo Marquez said: “Ask the photographer who was recording our training session,” showing his displeasure over the whole incident.

However, there is no specific law by FIFA that curtails or punishes spying in football.

Match forfeit – MCFC vs JFC

Mumbai City FC was awarded a 3-0 win over Jamshedpur FC after their ISL encounter on March 8, after the Red Miners were found to have violated the foreign player limit during the encounter.

MCFC lodged a formal protest with the All Indian Football Federation (AIFF), citing JFC’s breach of rule after the initial contest had ended in a 1-1 draw.

ISL’s Rule 4.2.10 states that a minimum of seven Indians should be on the field at all times. When JFC substituted Alen Stevanovic in place of Imran Khan after Daniel Chima Chukwu was shown a red card, the number of Indians on the pitch dropped to six.

The AIFF Disciplinary Committee delivered a verdict complying with Mumbai City and therefore declared the match a forfeiture. Consequently, three points were awarded to Mumbai City, altering the scoreline to 3-0 in favour of the Islanders.

Racist Gesture – KBFC vs BFC

Kerala Blasters’ opening ISL 2023-24 encounter against Bengaluru FC was marred by an alleged instance of racism. KBFC released a statement on twitter condemning a racist gesture made by a BFC player.

“It has come to our attention that during the match, one of our players was subjected to a disrespectful gesture by a Bengaluru FC player. We want to make it abundantly clear that there is absolutely no room for racist and derogatory behaviour in our Club and in the sport,” the statement read.

The incident involved Australian winger Ryan Williams, who allegedly showed a racist gesture towards defender Aibanbha Dohling after an altercation following a tackle.

“We have filed an official complaint with the appropriate authorities, urging them to conduct a thorough investigation into this incident. We trust that the authorities will treat this matter with the utmost seriousness and take the necessary steps to address it appropriately,” KBFC added.

Kolkata Derby ticket price issue – EBFC vs MBSG

Mohun Bagan Super Giant called for a boycott of the Kolkata derby against East Bengal after the latter almost doubled the prices for the away fans.

“We unequivocally condemn the unsportsmanlike behaviour of East Bengal and have decided that we will neither buy nor sell any tickets of the derby match of ISL between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal Club. This communication may be treated as an official boycott call of the upcoming derby from our side,” Mohun Bagan said via a statement.

Following the call for boycott, East Bengal reversed its stand and waived the ticket discounts for its fans. “Any discrepancies in ticket pricing for the Derby match on March 10th, 2024, will be corrected with immediate effect,” the club said in an official statement.

“Going forward, uniform pricing will be implemented for all attendees of this highly anticipated event. This decision reflects our commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive environment for football lovers and the broader sports community.”