FC Goa coach Juan Ferrando has expressed displeasure over refereeing in the 130th Durand Cup in Kolkata, saying the quality was "disappointing".
Ferrando said, “The Durand Cup is a prestigious cup. It’s an honour to take part but I am upset about the level of refereeing. They are not protecting the players. It is dangerous."
“I am very upset about the match commissioner of the last match. After the match, I was speaking to the match commissioner, and he was laughing. It’s a big injury for Ortiz. It was not the moment to laugh when we were in a serious problem like this. I don’t know why he was laughing but his job is to protect the players."
FC Goa Football Director Ravi Puskur also participated in the virtual press conference. He said,
Injured Ortiz out of competition
FC Goa beat Sudeva Delhi in the last match to advance to the semi-finals of the Durand Cup, but the team's dominant winger, Jorge Ortiz, had to leave the field due to injury in the final stage of the match.
The tackle of Sudeva Delhi's player was very dangerous. "We are currently assessing Jorge's injury," Ferrando said.
I can't say much. He will not be able to play in the Durand Cup. The quality of the competition needs to be raised, it requires the protection of the players. Players will not participate in the tournament if they feel the risk of injury. " He added
Questions about participating in the tournament future
Football Director Ravi Puskur also talked about FC Goa's future in the tournament. He said, "We are here to participate with the best players and want to put out the best line-up. However, now it becomes a big question for me as to we should participate in these tournaments (in the future) or train in Goa for the pre-season. The motivation of the players is now different.”