Sanjoy Sen suspension: AIFF to hear appeal to reduce Sen's sentence on 31st March

AFTER MULTIPLE PLEAS the AIFF disciplinary committee has decided to review the appeal filed by Mohun Bagan to reduce their head coach Sanjoy Sen's suspension term.

The date for hearing the appeal has been set for 31st March; just 2 days before the crucial Kolkata Derby that is being seen as a milestone in the I-League title race.

Sen was suspended for 8 matches after he said the Indian football governing body had "sold out" to certain interests. In a subsequent letter, he had apologized for the comments; but AIFF chose to punish him for the maximum number of matches applicable for this kind of offense.

The decision was greeted by surprise and anger by Mohun Bagan fans, as it meant that their head coach would be banned from the sideline for the rest of the league, and the first round of the Federation Cup. Even certain officials from East Bengal commented at the extent of punishment was too harsh compared to the crime.

Bagan fans held multiple protests against this decision; including the initiative where 10,000 fans wore Sanjay Sen masks to express their solidarity with the coach. At the same time, letters and phone calls were made to the AIFF at an official level to review that decision.

Now that AIFF has decided to hear the appeal, what happens on that boardroom on 31st March may come to radically affect the outcome of the Kolkata Derby on 2nd April, and by extension the whole title race.