Habas blasts standard of refereeing in ISL

NEW DELHI: The standard of refereeing in the third edition of the Indian Super League (ISL) has drawn a lot of flak. A number of the team managers have expressed unhappiness over the issue, with some even threatening to quit the ISL. On Wednesday, the topic was once again brought to the life, this time by former ATK and current FC Pune City coach Antonio Lopez Habas.
“The organization (ISL) really needs to do more.They need to look at the standard of refereeing and the tackles. One day we will have a serious problem. There is difference between playing strong and being violent. There is a big difference between the two situations. There is absolutely no control,” Habas said on the eve of their match against sixth-placed Delhi Dynamos on Wednesday.
Incidentally, Habas is third coach after FC Goa manager Zico and Mumbai City FC's Alexandre Guimaraes to blast the standard of refereeing in the tournament. “I don't have a lot to say. Images show more than I can say,” Guimaraes had said after his side's game against Delhi Dynamos last Tuesday, which saw a debatable offside call resulting in a goal. Moreover a soft penalty decision in favour of Dynamos allowed them to finish the match 3-3.
Earlier, Brazilian great and FC Goa coach Zico had lambasted the standard of refereeing and said he's ready to pack up and leave if his team was continuously subjected to wrong decisions. “I am here to help Indian football development and not to earn money. “If they want me here I can be here to help but if they don't, I can pack my bags and leave,” a furious Zico had said after their 1-1 draw against Atletico de Kolkata on October 16.
“I don't know what is going on but in the three years I am here all the crucial goals are against us. It seems they want to finish my team. In the game against Pune, it was like this. Most crucial decisions are going against us,” he had said referring to their 1-2 loss to Pune City FC on October 8.
He then suggested a solution of bringing reputed FIFA referees on board, who, like the foreign players, would help the standard of Indian referees.
Habas, who like Zico, has been with ISL since its inception in 2014, said the marquee player rule too needs to be scrapped. “The league will do good if they don't chose a specific marquee player or differentiate between a marquee player and the rest of the players. It's not good for the team.”
Habas also said: “There needs to be clarity about the format from the next season. It could be three months or six months or even seven months long. It's not good for ISL or the players.”
Habas' team, currently placed seventh on the points table, has just managed to score four goals in five games. Asked to comment on their lack of goals, he said, “We have a new team. We don't have time to settle in. We need time.”