No rest & preparation required: Mumbai to play ATK as per schedule; refuse alternative date

THE MUMBAI CITY TEAM management has decided to field their team against Atletico de Kolkata on Friday night itself, as per schedule.

What happened there was that after being stuck inside the hotel for a prolonged period due to a flooded Chennai city, the Mumbai City team along with the Chennaiyin FC squad were transported to Tirupati from where they flew to Mumbai on a chartered plane. They spent the night in Mumbai and on Friday morning-ish they are going to reach  Kolkata and play the defending champions on the same evening, without a single day's practice, rest and chance to acclimatise to the conditions.

Anyone with half a footballing brain can see this is a bad idea. And the fact was not lost on the ISL management as well as the hosts Atletico de Kolkata. Both agreed that given the situation, the match should be postponed. ISL even offered Mumbai City an alternative date -- 7th December -- on which to hold the match. This would allow the team to have at least 3 days of practice in Kolkata.

It was around this time that rumours broke out within the organizers' ranks that tomorrow's match is postponed as TFG had reported.

But no one had anticipated that Mumbai City, given the chance to prepare better for their final game of the season, would actually turn that down and decide they were going to land in the morning, change in the taxi, and play in the evening. Because it made no sense. These are professional footballers, not a travelling theatre troupe; there is a reason why they are supposed to reach the venue, like, two-three days ahead of a match. 

But a press release from ISL said, 

"...They didn’t want to disappoint fans in Kolkata who had bought tickets in advance."

But are they not disappointing their own fans back home, as well those that bought the tickets, by turning up with an underprepared team? Should they not do justice to the thousands who stood by them through yet another bad year by at least doing all they can to get a consolation win on the last match and avoid a bottom table finish? Are they not letting down their own players by sending them into the pitch without enough rest and regard for their well-being?

Or are they so done with this team and this campaign that they want to just get done with it as soon as possible?