PANJIM: Standing firm on his actions while providing details over the Goa football team’s hotel brawl fiasco during the 35th National Games in Kerala, skipper Micky Fernandes informed that he did not punch teammate Mario Mascarenhas on the nose.
“We had just lost our bronze medal match to Maharashtra 3-1, on February 9. Even after the match, I kept my cool. Later, I went to Mario’s room and we had an argument over the defeat and a brawl followed. However, I never punched him on the nose nor there was any blood spilling out from his nose,” informed Micky, on Wednesday.
“Our officials had a word with us after the incident and we turned down any complaints settling the issue amicably among ourselves. The reports which pointed out that teammates will be boycotting the Santosh Trophy final leg are false,” clarified the Churchill Brothers Sports Club medio.
“I captained the team during the Santosh Trophy and at the last minute, one of our official announced Marcus Mascarenhas as the captain just before our opening match of the National Games, in which we thrashed Tamil Nadu 6-1. As a senior player I was hurt over the captainship decision taken but I remained calm,” stated Micky.
The Goa Football Association has called on for an Emergency Committee meeting, on today to take stock of the situation.
Micky has already submitted a formal letter to the GFA informing about the incident, on Wednesday, in which he states, “I may be short tempered but I am cent percent sure that I have not been violent or punched Mario on his nose to leave him bleeding. It’s a strategy of defaming me and sabotaging my career.”
However, when contacted Mario, the defender maintained that his teammate did hit him although not on the nose. “He did hit me and the scar is there to see,” said Mario.
