All hell broke loose at the Kanteerva Stadium as Sunil Chhetri’s controversial goal hands Bengaluru FC 1-0 win over Kerala Blasters.
Bengaluru: The Indian Super League witnessed one of it’s most controversial and heated moments during their ISL Playoff match between former champions Bengaluru FC and Kerala Blasters on Friday at the Kanteerva Stadium as a controversial free-kick from India captain Sunil Chhetri forced KBFC coach Ivan Vukomanovic to call his players off the field and forfeit the match.
The incident happened during the first-half of extra-time after both the sides cannot be separated in regulation time. In the 96th minute of the game, Chhetri gave Bengaluru FC the lead from a brilliant converted free-kick before the referee signalled for the whistle. Irked by the incident, the Blasters surrounded the referee. A even more furious Ivan Vukomanovic stormed onto the field and rashly argued with ref Crystal John. The official was in no mood to change his decision and around the 100th minute mark, Ivan walked off the pitch with his players. As a result Bengaluru won the game 1-0 and will face Mumbai City FC in the semis.
#sunilchhetri Such an act of Shame. Never expected from you. #KBFC #indianfootball pic.twitter.com/2tN9xSys7b
— RAHUL PR (@Rahulprofficia) March 3, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Or2QpC6Ddxk
After the match, as quoted by ESPN India, Chhetri informed the referee before taking the free-kick. John asked Chhetri that does he need the wall to be in place or will he need the whistle to be blown. The 38-year old made it clear that he needs none and if he sense a chance, he’ll take it anyway.
”I always ask the referee, because if he doesn’t allow it, then it won’t happen. So what happens is, they [referees] always ask – do you [need the] whistle or do you need the wall? So I said, I don’t need the wall, neither do I need the whistle. I always do it so that if I have a chance, I take it. If not, then I say, okay, fine. Get the wall [in place], get the whistle, because you always have that option”, Chhetri told after the match.
The 3rd highest active international scorer also revealed that while he was having a chat with the ref, Kerala’s Adrian Luna must’ve heard their conversation and that’s why at the first attempt, the Uruguayan footballer tried to block him before Sunil looped it into the back of the net.
”But then he [referee] said, okay, fine. And I again said, I don’t want the whistle, I don’t want the wall. He [the referee] said, ‘Are you sure?’ I said, ‘yes.’ I think Luna heard it. And that’s why he blocked once I, I had no chance. He blocked it. He knew it and he was talking to his keeper. And again, I said, there’s no chance. And I was about to ask for the wall, but then he turned and then I had the opening”, the ex East Bengal and ATK Mohun Bagan man further added.
Now lets take a look at what the rule says. During a free-kick, the taker can take it even before the whistle is blown by the ref and that’s in normal footballing term, we call it as a quick free-kick.
But it should be noted that it can be taken by the attacking side in any situation without notifying the referee either verbally or visually given that there is a distance of at least 10 yards from an opposition player so as not to block the movement of play.
This is not first time we are actually seeing a goal scored in that fashion. Arsenal legend Thierry Henry’s goal against Chelsea in 2004 and Lionel Messi’s free-kick goal against Atletico Madrid back in the 2008-09 season were scored in the exact same way and both were counted as goals.
Let’s take an example of Henry’s goal. The referee of that London Derby match Graham Poll defended his decision by saying that a set-piece around the penalty area always prompts the referees to ask the takers whether they want to attempt a quick free-kick or a slow one, even if the goalkeeper or the players organising the wall are not ready.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCWjioIR5MM
”With a free-kick around the penalty area we always ask the players whether they want it quick or slow”, Poll told as quoted as saying by footballhandbook.com.
“He [The refereel] said: ‘Do you want to wait for the whistle and [the wall to go] 10 yards?’ I said: ‘No.’ So he said: ‘You can have a go,’ so I was just waiting for Gudjohnsen to move out of the way. The referee allowed me to do it”, Henry shared what exactly happened before the goal.
So in case of a quick free-kick around the penalty area, whether the wall is 10 yards away from the taker or not, it doesn’t really matter. If the referee gets the green signal for a quick one after clarifying from the taker, he will allow it anyway and there’s no need for a whistle to be blown.
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