AIFF suspends East Bengal defender Arnab Mondal for using “aggressive words”

The 27-year old defender got caught in a controversy following the Kolkata derby last Saturday after Mohun Bagan striker Cornell Glen took to the social media claiming that he had been racially abused by Arnab during the high octane match at Siliguri.

However, with the referee’s report not containing any reference to the racial remarks, the All India Football Federation disciplinary committee on Saturday suspended the Indian international defender for two matches for using “aggressive/abusive” words. The defender will also have to pay a fine of Rs. 1 lakh within a period of seven days.

Mohun Bagan, who will be welcoming coach Sanjoy Sen back for the game against DSK Shivajians today after the AIFF reduced his eight-match ban to four, suffered another blow on Saturday after assistant coach Shankarlal Chakraborty was suspended for two matches for using offensive language against the officials during the Kolkata derby, which Bagan lost 1-2. Shankarlal Chakraborty will also have to pay a fine of Rs. 50,000 within a period of seven days.

With the I-league title race heading towards a tight finish, the suspension of Arnab Mondal will be a big loss to East Bengal with a crucial away trip to Bengaluru coming on Sunday.

Mohun Bagan will take on DSK Shivajians on Saturday for their penultimate match of the season, while East Bengal will lock horns with Bengaluru on Sunday in the Garden City in a top-of-table clash.