Regret being part of the moment, Ivan Vukomanovic on ISL walkout

The tactician shocked the masses by walking off the pitch with his players during the playoff knockout fixture against Bengaluru FC.

Ivan Vukomanovic has issued a statement of apology after the walkout fiasco in the Indian Super League 2022-23 playoffs. Kerala Blasters were losing by a goal against Bengaluru FC in extra-time of the playoff knockout game after Sunil Chhetri cleverly found the back of the net with a quickly taken free-kick. Enraged by the whole situation, Vukomanovic asked his players to vacate the field and abandoned the game.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) recently announced heavy fines on both the club and the tactician. Furthermore, the governing body demanded the club and the head coach issue public apologies, failing which the fines would increase. As a result, Ivan Vukomanovic, who is going to serve a 10-match ban along with paying a fine for bringing the game into disrepute, has issued a statement of apology on social media.

The Statement

In his statement, regretting the series of events, Ivan Vukomanovic says, “It is certainly devastating to all football fans to witness and see such a thing. The emotion and love input in this beautiful game by fans, players, technical & medical staff, media, etc. around the globe is priceless, and no one deserves nor wants to be an actor in such an event.”

“These things are not supposed to be seen in sports arenas around the world and I regret being part of such a moment. As a man of sport and football, I was always promoting correct conduct and FairPlay. These are without a doubt, some of the most important values of a football game, and most of all, parts of sports education that we all have to pass on to our future generations,” he further went on to add.

Ivan Vukomanovic also expresses gratitude for working in India and aims to work towards improving the level of football in the years to come. “Today, it's been almost two years I'm connected with this beautiful country full of sports talent and potential. We should all work harder in order to increase the level of football in India, and as a coach, I will always contribute myself to improvement of this beautiful game,” he wrote in this context.