In what comes as a big blow for the Mohun Bagan fans and the man himself in question -- Sanjoy Sen -- the All India Football Federation (AIFF) announced Thursday that the Mohun Bagan head coach remains suspended for the next eight matches of the club.
The decision comes following an AIFF Disciplinary Committee meeting in the national capital.
Apart from the suspension, Sen has been fined Rs 10 Lakh, according to the Article 58 of the AIFF Disciplinary Code. The Indian coach gets the punishment for using "derogatory statements" against the governing body of Indian football.
Sen had said that the AIFF has been "sold out" for not rescheduling an I-League game in January ahead of their AFC Champions League second round clash against Shandong Luneng in China.
Bagan, the defending I-League champions, had to take on DSK Shivajians in Pune in a league game on January 30 and despite knowing that the Mariners play their game in China on Feb. 2, the AIFF refused to reschedule the fixture.
"I can't realize how this happens in India. It does not happen anywhere in the world. In the Champions League, Barcelona does not play domestic matches just after Champions League. This is terrible," Sen was quoted as saying by Goal.
"I thought if we won, our match in Pune against DSK would be postponed. I just heard that AIFF did not hear our words. This is how football is run in India. It's horrible. God knows how this can happen. It's unfortunate for us. Any team which is ambitious, this is a big hit for us."
A few days later after his comments, Sen was sent a show-cause notice by the AIFF.
