The AFC vs KEB match may have ended in a draw but there was more than just a football match on and off the field. The pre-match conference created high tension among Aizawl FC fans which resulted in an FIR lodged against Aizawl FCs former coach Khalid Jamil whose statement claimed that his reason for leaving the club was not by choice but because Aizawl FC did not renew his contract.
This statement has been taken by Aizawl FC as false allegation as the club claimed that the contract papers were put forward but the former coach decided to leave the champion club for a better payroll in East Bengal.
The press release made by Aizawl FC Central Fan Club highlights the following points:
1. AFC Central Fan Club has been bestowed with high authority for the supporters of Aizawl FC under Aizawl FC Secretariat.
2. AFC Central Fan Club is deeply disappointed and infuriated by the false allegations made by Khalid Jamil at the pre-match press conference.
3. Khalid Jamil's claim that he was forced to leave Aizawl FC in spite of the contract being signed for 2016-2017 shows his disrespect and betrayal of the Mizo community.
4. Khalid Jamil, after Aizawl FC's historic win, announced that he would continue to stay with the club and was offered a double of his then current pay as well. However, the former coach left the club without any formal word of farewell and went on to join the club that offered him a higher pay.
5. It is clear that Khalid Jamil took advantage of the champion club for his personal financial gain by convincing the club's players to join him in his newly joined club.
6. We are deeply happy for him that he has moved to greener pasture. However, we are also disappointed in his disrespectful attitude towards the Mizo community and the false allegations that he had made against the club. We, therefore, demand that the right and proper punishment be given to him for this.
The pre-match press conference and its aftermath clearly created pressure on both sides, especially for Aizawl FC fans whose continuous booings against the former coach echoed throughout the match.
When asked about the press release and the cold reception by AFC fans in the post-match conference, Khalid Jamil said that his focus is on the next match alone and nothing else. "I was not aware about the press release that made by AFC fans club. I also don't want to have any reaction to it. I do not think about the past. I think only about the next match. I have done my part in Aizawl FC. I did my job and that was enough. Everyone has their own opinion. Sometimes these things happen," says the former AFC coach.