The club should leave immediately as we can’t entertain this act.
We honoured the commitment we gave a few months back even with the surge in cases & pressure from the public. https://t.co/RXxma0hyjm Ahmed Mahloof (@AhmedMahloof) May 8, 2021
“The club should leave Maldives immediately as we can’t entertain this act. We honoured the commitment we gave a few months back even with the surge in cases & pressure from the public.”
“We have informed FAM (Football Association of Maldives) that we cannot hold the match, and asked them to make arrangements for Bengaluru’s departure,” he added.
“The optics and timing of the breach has led to the reaction and what the players did was inexcusable,” Jindal said. “They were well aware of the protocols and they knew they couldn’t step out, however briefly”
Jindal added that all Bengaluru players and staff tested negative for coronavirus before traveling to the Maldives and also on arrival in Male on Friday.
“We have apologized,” Jindal said. “It is really unfortunate as we have been training and spending time for this game and I am sure we will be sanctioned.”
Maldives Sports Minister Ahmed Mahloof announced Sunday that the game between Bengaulura and the local club, Eagles, could not go ahead as scheduled on Tuesday and the national football federation had been asked to “make arrangements for Bengaluru’s departure.”
BENGALURU FC owner Parth Jindal has apologised for an “inexcusable” breach of Covid-19 protocols by two of his players and a coach that led to the Indian club being told to leave the Maldives before a scheduled AFC Cup play-off game against a local team.
The players and a member of the coaching staff were reported by local media to have left their hotel in the capital Male on Saturday, sparking criticism from the Maldives sports minister.
Jindal said yesterday that against a backdrop of a surging Covid-19 cases in India and rising local opposition to the game going ahead, he understood the reaction on the island.
The attempt to bag the hosting rights for both the continental level tournaments will be beneficial for the Gaurs and the Mariners who are currently in a bio-bubble in Goa for the ongoing 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season.
Following the draw for the tournament in the last week of January, Ferrando had said, It is very difficult (to shift from one bio-bubble to another) but there is no other way. It is necessary to protect the players. I am not so upset because ultimately we are playing in the group stage of the Champions League. Of course, we are away in our rooms, away from family but in the end, we are here to prepare a history for FC Goa.