We've appealed to overturn the decisions, says Marco Balbul

The head coach was sent off for dissent.

NorthEast United FC didn't enjoy a solid start to their campaign this season under new head coach Marco Balbul. The Highlanders played eye catching ball and were unexpectedly the dominant side against Bengaluru FC in a tough away match environment. Their new Spanish recruit Jon Gaztanaga had a fine outing and bossed the midfield in the game. Lastly, he was the one who scored a last minute stunner (the equalizer) but the same was declared offside by the linesman. The referee judged the call wrongly and made the controversial denial. 

The decision led to some drama at the touchline as NorthEast United head coach Marco Balbul was sent off for his stormy protest with the referee. After the game, Marco shared his thoughts on the game which was published in the team's twitter handle. 

He said, “Yesterday we showed a very good performance against a very strong team at their home. Our players showed good desire to win the game, a good display of attacking football. We pressed them very high. It was a wonderful performance from the boys.”

“But a poor decision from the referees cost us one crucial point,” the manager continued.

NorthEast United appeals to the federation

Marco Balbul also informed the fans about the appeal the team has made to the stakeholders to overturn the decision. He asserted, “ The decision was very disappointing. I am a calm coach but still I couldn't control my emotions, my frustration was due to his decision. But now we have appealed to the federation and Hero ISL to overturn these decisions.”

This is not the first time any team has appealed to the authorities for a poor decision. East Bengal reported a similar incident during the 2020-21 season to overturn the suspension of defender Danny Fox which was ultimately successful.