I-League 2024-25: Churchill Alemao condemns refereeing decisions in the clash against Sreenidi Deccan

The I-League match between Churchill Brothers and Sreenidi Deccan ended in a 1-1 draw.

I-League club Churchill Brothers will be fuming following the conclusion of the game week 20 encounter against Sreenidi Deccan FC, which ended 1-1 after 90 minutes. Despite dominating most of the I-League game against the visitors, the home side had to settle with one point.

Pape Gassama’s 29th-minute strike provided the lone goal for the hosts in a close game. However, their finishing was insufficient, with Stendly Fernandes and Trijoy Das unable to convert clear opportunities in the first half. In contrast, Sreenidi Deccan offered a minimal attacking threat, their only chance being a weak header from David Castaneda. Despite trying a different approach in the second half, the visitors failed to take the lead as the hosts continued to create chances.

Churchill Brothers dropped two valuable points in the I-League title race

Despite the original allocation of seven minutes of stoppage time, the game was prolonged to ten minutes, and in the dying seconds, a controversial penalty was awarded to Sreenidi Deccan. The referee, Crystal John, claimed that Lalliansanghe Renthlei had fouled Lalromawia after mistiming his opportunity to clear the ball. David Castaneda subsequently converted the penalty, and with no time remaining, the match resulted in a 1-1 draw instead of a 1-0 victory for the home side.

Despite maintaining their position at the top of the table with 38 points, Churchill’s grasp on the title has loosened considerably. Inter Kashi, now only three points away, also has the advantage of one game in hand, intensifying the pressure on pursuing the I-league title.

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Club owners not happy with inconsistent refereeing in the I-League

Churchill Alemao, the owner of the Churchill Brothers, issued a statement via the club’s social media platforms, condemning the match’s refereeing decisions which had huge ramifications in the title race. He also questioned the allocation of the excessive stoppage time beyond the original seven minutes and the awarding of the controversial penalty against his team.

He stated, “Referees’ decisions in so many games have gone against my team and other teams just to push a particular team. It looks as though certain sections of the AIFF are hell-bent on ensuring that my team does not become the champions.”

Refereeing decisions have costed teams in the past 

The referee at the center of the controversy, Crystal John, has been in hot water over his decisions in the past. During the 2022-23 ISL playoffs, John was the main match official for the game between Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters FC.

The controversial moment from the game came after he awarded Sunil Chhetri, the goal from a free-kick, with the Blasters not ready for the set-piece. The moment prompted the Blasters to stage a walkout off the field, leading to the Blues winning the game.

While this constant occurrence of controversial refereeing decisions has become very common in the I-League, the decision from John sets bad precedence for the upcoming and future games. These decisions have been constantly causing problems for the teams, who have been competing hard for each point since the start of the season.

Such decisions have forced them to frequently appeal and hope for reversals after the game has ended. But the main issue remains : How long will this pattern exist before a solution is found?

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