Mohun Bagan head coach Sanjoy Sen's eight-match suspension period has been reduced by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Thursday. The decision was taken by the Indian football governing body's Appeals Committee.
The Indian coach will now serve a four-match ban instead of the eight earlier. His fine amount has also been reduced from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 5 lakh.
"In view of the unconditional apology tendered by Mr. Sanjoy Sen both verbally and in form of an affidavit in addition to his undertaking that such incidents will not happen in future, the AIFF Appeals Committee which met at Football House on March 31, 2016, unanimously decided to reduce the penalty of suspension from 8 matches to 4 matches to be served consecutively, [sic]" the AIFF statement read.
An AIFF Disciplinary Committee ruling earlier this month saw Sen being slapped with an eight-match suspension and a Rs 10 lakh fine, according to the Article 58 of the AIFF Disciplinary Code. The Indian coach received the punishment for using "derogatory statements" against the governing body of Indian football.
Sen had said the AIFF had 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.
The I-League-winning coach had to sit out during his team's clashes with Mumbai FC and Aizawl FC earlier this month, and will not be around to guide his team during Mohun Bagan's highly-anticipated Saturday clash against arch-rivals East Bengal in Siliguri as well.
