Sanjay Sen's 'Sold Out' jab

Moments after Mohun Bagan made history by defeating Singapore's Tampine Rovers in the first round of the AFC Champions League qualifiers, the journalists assembled at the press conference room were surprised to find an angry Sanjay Sen storming into the hall. Upset with AIFF's decision not to postpone Bagan's away clash with DSK Shivajians, he spoke passionately about how his players were being forced to play 4 matches in 11 days. In the heat of the moment, he uttered the words, "AIFF has sold out to certain interests." The moment he said it, he knew it wasn't going to go down well, and so did everyone else in the room. The powers that be in Indian football were none too pleased about such open criticism from one of the major coaches in the country. They immediately show-caused him, and though Sen has expressed regret for letting his sentiments get better of him in statements as well as the official reply to the show-cause, there's a good chance AIFF will punish him with a hefty fine, or a suspension. But it doesn't seem like Sen is about to dial himself down for good, either. In Bengaluru, he said, "Sometimes, somebody has to say these things. Because the question is, when are we going to learn?"