Kerala Blasters File Appeal With CAS Against Walkout Fine of Rs 4 Crore: Report

Kerala Blasters have reportedly filed an appeal with Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) with regards to the heavy financial penalty imposed on them by the AIFF after the club staged a walkout during their ISL playoff against Bengaluru FC earlier this year in March.

The AIFF Disciplinary Committee had fined Blasters Rs 4 crore and their head coach Ivan Vukomanovic Rs 5 lakh who was also given a 10-game ban in wake of the incident.

Blasters appealed against the punishment but it was turned down by the AIFF appeals committee and the club was asked to pay the fine.

According to a report in The Times of India, Blasters have filed an appeal with CAS, a Lausanne-based institution which resolves legal disputes in the field of sports.

The AIFF disciplinary committee, chaired by Vaibhav Gaggar, also asked Blasters to issue a public apology.

The appeals committee though disagreed with the observation that the incident should invite maximum penalty.

“We, however, disagree with the observation of the disciplinary committee that this was a case in which the maximum penalty of Rs. 6 crore should have been imposed,” the appeals panel said in its order, as per the report.

“We believe that the maximum should be reserved for extreme cases, such as those in which such abandonment action is accompanied by other serious violations of the Code. Nonetheless, we see no reason to increase or reduce the penalty of Rs. 4 crore,” it added.

The walkout happened after Blasters contested a goal scored by Bengaluru FC’s Sunil Chhetri via a free-kick. The club has lodged a protest with the AIFF against the referee for allowing Chhetri to quickly take the free-kick.

Coach Vukomanovic had then stepped onto the pitch and asked his players to return to the locker room despite 24 minutes still remaining in extra time.

Vukomanovic later expressed his regret over the incident.

“It has been a couple of weeks since we were all caught by negative circumstances that happened on 3rd March this year during our last game. It is certainly devastating to all football fans to witness and see such a thing. The emotion and love input in this beautiful game by fans, players, technical & medical staffs, media, etc. around the globe is priceless, and no one deserves nor wants to be actor of such an event,” he said in a statement.