Mohun Bagan faces two-year ban

Kolkata: Mohun Bagan might be banned for two years for walking off the pitch after one of their key players, Syed Rahim Nabi got injured during their I-League clash against East Bengal on Sunday.

Mohun Bagan secretary general Anjan Mitra on Monday said they are willing to approach the FIFA or AFC if the decision in the violence-ridden abandoned I-League clash against East Bengal goes against the green-and-maroon brigade. "We have complete faith in AIFF. If the decision goes against us, we might go to FIFA and AFC," Mitra said. A wave of violence engulfed the gigantic Yuva Bharati Krirangan here, forcing the marquee clash between the two rivals to be called off, besides leaving 40 injured. "East Bengal should give us compensation for Syed Rahim Nabi`s injury. We would have played the match had East Bengal given us the assurance over security and cleared the ground." Mohun Bagan might have to face stringent punishment including suspension up to three years as per AIFF Clause 22. East Bengal and state sports minister Madan Mitra, though, have said they were opposed to imposition of any strict punishment like suspension on Mohun Bagan. "We don`t want AIFF to suspend Bagan. But there is no question of paying compensation. The players have mediclaim and insurance." "It was the responsibility of the match commissioner and the referee to see if the teams take the field or not. We cannot go and tell Bagan to take the field. We are not going to return money to the spectators," said East Bengal secretary Kalyan Majumdar. PTI