Hyderabad FC head coach, Manolo Marquez, criticized the Indian Super League's decision to go ahead with HFC's game against Jamshedpur FC last night. The former league leaders were forced to play a league shield-deciding clash with 8 COVID positive cases in their camp, resulting in a makeshift lineup. They were comfortably second best in a 0-3 loss.
Taking to Twitter after the game, the Hyderabad boss said, "When you lead the Indian Super League and a match is canceled due to COVID cases in the opponent's camp, it seems good to me. However, when the situation is the other way around and they force you to play the game with 8 (COVID) positives, seems to me a clear adulteration of the competition. Goodbye to the league shield."
Cuando vas líder en la Liga India y se cancela un partido por casos de COVID en el rival me parece bien. Pero que cuando toque jugar el partido la situación sea a la inversa y te obliguen a jugar con 8 positivos me parece una clara adulteración de la competición. Adiós a la liga pic.twitter.com/mkPjD6Z8Ec
- Manolo Márquez (@2014_manel) March 1, 2022
Marquez was referring to this very fixture, which was earlier postponed in January after Jamshedpur were unable to field a team. The ISL's statement then, read: "The decision has been taken in consultation with the League's medical team taking into account the inability of Jamshedpur FC to field a team." A PTI report then stated that several Jamshedpur FC players had been kept under isolation as close contacts after at least a couple of team-mates had tested positive for COVID-19.
Hyderabad were able to field the requisite minimum of 15 players for last night's game, however, they were missing hugely important players like league top-scorer Bart Ogbeche, talismanic defender Juanan, midfield lynchpin Joao Victor and first-choice goalkeeper Laxmikant Kattimani. A potential postponement could have possibly been accommodated in the three-day gap between the league stage ending on March 7th and the first leg of the semifinals on March 11th.
The loss to Jamshedpur effectively ended Hyderabad FC's hopes of winning the league shield for the first time in their history. Mathematically the possibility still exists, although it would require Odisha FC to defeat Jamshedpur, Chennaiyin FC to defeat ATK Mohun Bagan, ATKMB to defeat Jamshedpur and for Hyderabad to defeat Mumbai City in their final game.
Jamshedpur FC, meanwhile leapfrogged Hyderabad in the table with the 3-0 victory while also sealing their semifinal spot alongside HFC. Owen Coyle's side are now favourites for the league shield, requiring only a draw against fellow title-contenders ATK Mohun Bagan in their final game.