Player safety first, will try and cancel game if ground conditions are bad: Manolo Marquez

Panaji: Coach Manolo Marquez has warned that he will not allow his team to take the field if FC Goa encounter heavy rain and a waterlogged outfield, like Mohun Bagan SG did against NorthEast United FC at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, Guwahati, on Sunday.

NorthEast’s home encounter against Bagan was riddled with confusion and controversy due to the heavy rain that left the ground heavily waterlogged. At the end of the first-half, a 30-minute break was observed due to allow rain to subside, but when the second half kicked off, there was no respite.

“Footballers should play whether there’s rain, sun, whatever the conditions, but if the ball does not roll, you have to cancel the game,” Manolo told reporters on Wednesday. “I was very surprised that the match went ahead. I believe it was done because they wanted to finish the competition since there are no slots or gaps for the game to be played (again). It was impossible to play football. It was more about long balls and second actions. As a spectator, it was not good viewing.”

A serious shoulder injury to NorthEast’s Ankith Padmanabhan prompted questions about player safety.

“If this was 20 years ago, maybe you don’t know whether it will rain again or not, once the second half kicked off. Now, you can tell when it will rain. Whatever the coaches say or anyone else feels, player safety should be primary concern. NorthEast lost one of their players because of this situation.

“The other day, (Mumbai City’s) Franklin Nazareth was injured (against Goa) after an action against Daniel (Lalhlimpuia). He has a bad injury. I want to send him my message of support. Injuries happen, but when you play like the conditions in Guwahati, there’s too much risk. The match could have ended with more injuries (due to the ground conditions),” said Manolo.

Goa face NorthEast in their next ISL clash away in Guwahati on Friday. There are possibilities of a downpour, but should it rain like it did on Sunday, Manolo said the match will not go ahead.

“It’s a 5pm kickoff, so things could be different. If the ground conditions are the same, I will try and cancel the game, doesn’t matter whether there is space for the match to be replayed (at a later date). The health of the player is above everything else,” said Manolo.
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