‘In some situations, I feel referees have been thrown to the lions’

The Kerala Blasters FC crew throughout the coaching session forward of their Indian Super League (ISL) soccer match in opposition to Odisha FC in Kochi on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: H. VIBHU

Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic throughout a latest observe session in Kochi.
| Photo Credit:
THULASI KAKKAT

The referees have are available in for a lot criticism for his or her officiating within the ongoing Indian Super League. And Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic, now again after finishing the 10-match ban for his crew’s controversial walkout in opposition to Bengaluru FC final season, feels that the league ought to make use of applied sciences accessible to make it a greater place for everyone.

Without issues just like the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) know-how to help them, Vukomanovic feels the referees within the ISL are actually thrown to the lions.

“I think the support of certain aspects of technology will be very useful, that should be the next step. I have personally nothing against referees, I’m certain that they are all good guys and they always try to do the best they can. But sometimes when you see certain situations, I feel that they have been thrown to the lions,” mentioned the Serb, who shall be within the Blasters’ dugout for the primary time this season in Friday’s ISL match in opposition to Odisha FC on the Nehru Stadium right here, on Thursday.

“And they are told go fight with the lions…sometimes, I feel sorry for them. So with these kinds of things, I think if we don’t go for changes, these moments can kill the spirit of the game. Worldwide, these kinds of technologies are present for almost six to seven years. You need them for football development, for players, referees, teams, coaches and everybody and you have to take the next step…. it should start from the federation itself. Otherwise, many can lose interest.”

Vukomanovic revealed that the absence of such know-how within the ISL places off many high quality gamers.

“I will give one example…in the off-season, when you are trying to rope in some foreign players, the first thing they ask you about the league is… ‘you don’t have VAR, I won’t come’. That’s the case,” he mentioned.