I was only giving my opinion on refereeing, clarifies East Bengal boss Carles Cuadrat in official statement

Carles Cuadrat expressed regret for any offense caused by his remarks regarding refereeing after their defeat against Jamshedpur FC.

In the aftermath of East Bengal’s loss to Jamshedpur FC, the Red and Gold Brigade manager, Carles Cuadrat, stirred controversy with his comments on refereeing standards in the ongoing 2023-24 Indian Super League (ISL). Cuadrat addressed the media in a pre-match press conference before their match against the Marina Machans, criticizing refereeing decisions and expressing concerns about their impact on match outcomes. However, his remarks drew attention from the league organizers, leading Cuadrat to release an official statement earlier today for any offense caused by his remarks.

The Red and Gold Brigade’s manager did not shy away from criticizing the ISL organizers and the league officials for their alleged oversight in addressing refereeing issues. However, his comments appeared to have ruffled feathers within the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), prompting a response from the club. In an official statement released via the club’s social media handles, Carles Cuadrat expressed regret for any offense caused by his remarks.

Cuadrat through his statement clarified that his intention was not to disparage any individual or organization but to offer his perspective on refereeing matters. Cuadrat reiterated his commitment to the improvement of Indian football and assured that his comments were made with the best interests of the sport in mind.

Club statement

Statements from Coach Carles. ✍️#ISL10 pic.twitter.com/Zezy2jPOYP

— East Bengal FC (@eastbengal_fc) March 20, 2024

In the statement released by the club, the Spanish tactician said that he is regretful if his words were taken the wrong way and stressed that his sole intent was to give his opinion. Cuadrat also expressed that he wanted to see Indian football get better and that his comments were not meant to mean anything bad about any person or organization in the league. His statement read, “I would like to publicly clarify that my comments in the post-match press conference for our away match against Jamshedpur FC didn’t intend to offend any individual or organization.”

The coach concluded by adding, “I was only giving my opinion on refereeing to the media personnel and would like to apologize to anyone if they felt hurt by my comments. From my side, I always try to work for the improvement and betterment of Indian football.”

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