East Bengal’s remarkable victory against NorthEast United FC in the semi-final of the Durand Cup was overshadowed by accusations of racism, with the visiting team fans reporting instances of racist remarks and being pelted with stones and slippers during the match. The sixteen-time champions staged one of their greatest comebacks as they overturned a two-goal deficit in the last two minutes to secure a thrilling 5-3 victory in penalties to take them to the final of the Durand Cup after 19 years.
However, the post-match scenes painted a grim picture as the 100 or so NEUFC fans claimed that the Red and Gold Brigade supporters aimed projectiles and slurs at them. The match witnessed an attendance of approximately 22,000 spectators.
Such was the condition that immediate intervention of the Indian Army and local police was required to ensure the safe egress of NorthEast United FC supporters.
However, no official complaint has yet been made about the alleged incident.
However, All India Football Federation Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran has promised action.
“Saddened to read this. We will raise this matter. We have zero tolerance for this. We must do everything possible to completely eliminate this kind of problem from Indian football,” Prabhakaran posted on his social media platform ‘X’ . before tweeting.
Both teams have since condemned the alleged incident.
“NorthEast United FC is deeply disturbed by the recent incident of racism, hooliganism and violence against some of our fans during the Durand Cup semi-final against East Bengal FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Tuesday. Racism has no place in football or any aspect of life, and we unequivocally condemn such behavior,” NEUFC said in a statement on Wednesday.
“Our fans are an integral part of our team and we stand united against any form of discrimination. We have already brought this matter to the attention of the tournament organizers and local officials.
“We would like to thank the Indian Army and local police for acting swiftly against the perpetrators. We are also grateful to them for providing adequate protection to our fans and guiding them to the desired location.” East Bengal added: “East Bengal FC condemns all forms of racism. There is no room for discrimination in football, a sport that unites people.” The Indian army, the organizer of Asia’s oldest tournament, has not yet issued a statement.
(This story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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