Founding co-owners of FC Goa Shrinivas V. Dempo and Dattaraj V. Salgaocar on Friday quit FC Goa, even as the ISl appeals panel gave the Goa-based team some relief vis a vis penalties and censures following the ugly post-match fracas at the ISl Season 2 finals in Goa last year.
In a statement issued here Dempo and Salgaocar, both Goa-based business magnates said that they were forced to take the decision to quit ownership of FC Goa, due to “deep distress” caused to them following the physical skirmish with Brazilian midfielder and Chennaiyin captain Elano.
“The developments post the finals on December 20, 2016 have caused deep distress to us, our families, the FC Goa team and Goans in general. We have received a copy of the statement of Elano Blumer of Chennaiyin FC conveying his regrets over his actions that occurred post-match on December 20. In the interest of our innumerable fans and the team, with great sadness we have taken the painful decision to exit from F C Goa,” a joint statement released by the duo said.
Both FC Goa and Salgaocar and Dempo were severely penalised by the Indian Super league’s regulatory commission which included docking of points in this year’s season, a suspension for the co-owners and a fine of `10 crore.
Interestingly, their exit coincided with the ruling of the ISl’s Appeal Commission which on Friday also declared that the 15 points penalty had been done away with “in the interest of fans and to maintain a level playing field”. The Commission also lifted the two-year and three-year ban on Shrinivas Dempo and Dattaraj Salgaocar respectively, following both the FC Goa co-owners and Elano submitted letters of regret. It also whittled down the fine from `11 crore to `6 crore.
Further in their joint statement, Dempo and Salgaocar said: “Our families have supported football for over five decades and it extended itself to our association in the ISl… We invested in ISl because of our passion and the love of the game. We wanted to place Goa as a key presence on the football map. We have created in F C Goa a team with the right spirit and culture and playing football in the highest traditions of the game. F C Goa is a brand that has united Goa”.
The co-owners have also thanked F C Goa fans for their unconditional love and support to the team, as well as to other co-owners Virat Kohli and Venugopal Dhoot.