"Who runs ISL," Jamshedpur FC coach slams referees and votes for VAR after their loss against Mohun Bagan in ISL 2023-24

"Who is managing ISL?," Scott Copper, the head coach of Jamshedpur FC asked in the press conference when Sportz Point asked him about the game against Mohun Bagan Super Giant at JRD Tata Sports Complex in Jamshedpur on Wednesday.

The reason for that answer? Well, the Jamshedpur FC interim head coach was fuming after their 3-2 loss against Mohun Bagan and it was because of the referees.

"It's a good game of football and for everyone to watch. But, the only thing that was bad is that we do not know what is right or wrong anymore," Scott Cooper did not hold himself back while addressing the media right after the game.

"Even in Thailand and Vietnam, there is VAR. If you have VAR, our penalty at the end , is not a penalty. This is outside the box," Copper asked for VAR although he knew that V.A.R would have denied the penalty and might have given a card to Hector Yuste.

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Cooper believes that VAR needs to introduced in Indian football and many decisions taken by referees are changing the games and gameplans of the coaches as well. Even he went to say that, after a challenge, when Scott Copper went on to ask the fourth official, he just laughed at him and the Jamshedpur FC interim head coach thinks this is disrespectful and the fourth official should not be allowed to officiate any match in ISL after that.

"There's two challenges on our players, after the ball. Do you know what the fourth official did, when I asked him? He laughed at me. Like it's funny to him. That's funny? He should not be at any game as a fourth official," Cooper was animated and lashed everything out at the referees.

"The one thing the league needs is VAR. How can smaller league in Asia have VAR and Indian football can't? Who's managing ISL? Are they serious," Cooper raised fingers on the administration as well.

"After every game, you can go through the games and can find that half the goals are not goals, may be half the red cards are not red cards," Cooper added.

"The one thing that we need to keep is the game honest and true. I never saw so many rules in my life for a league that don't have the most necessary thing available; the V.A.R."

Although the Jamshedpur FC interim head coach raised lots of questions on the referees, he agreed to the fact that Rehensesh TP, who was shown a direct red card for a foul, was a correct decision made by the referee.

"We did not loose due to the lack of VAR. It just makes the game crazy. Maybe the will come in and want to fine me. But, for what? For telling the truth? Come on! Give the players a chance to play real football," Cooper kept on vowing for ISL and he knows that can be create some trouble for him as well.

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Not only that, Jamshedpur FC interim head coach believes that not having VAR in the league is letting Indian footballers down whenever they are playing at the International level with V.A.R.

"The players (Indian) get doing things they can get away with and when they go to national team or tournaments, the V.A.R is there; different thing. So, if ISL want to help Indian football or not? Come on! Explain yourselves!"

Talking about the game Scott felt, Mohun Bagan were there to be taken down at their home turf, but they failed to do that because some of the players did not do their job properly.

"I think Mohun Bagan (SG) were there for the taking tonight. At 1-0, their centre-backs were all over the place when we were pressing them. And then we had one or two players who decided not to keep their shape," Cooper told the media.

"We opened up the door for Mohun Bagan (SG) because they had a very bad start. We created more chances than them. We created 13; they created 11. But we opened up the door because some players didn't do their job properly. And I'm watching them," he went on to add.

Jamshedpur were really close to draw things out with Mohun Bagan during the final minutes of the game before losing three points by loosing to the mariners by 2-3. Steve Ambri hit the crossbar few minutes before the final whistle and Cooper thinks he will need more players like Ambri to turn things around for Jamshedpur FC.

Jamshedpur slipped down to number 8 at the ISL points table after winning only one game in their six matches. Meanwhile, after this win Mohun Bagan became the only team in ISL history to win four opening games of a season. They are now back at the top of the table with 12 points after four games.