Blackburn Manager Criticizes Decision to Replay Abandoned Match
Blackburn Rovers manager Valerien Ismael has condemned the decision to replay the team's abandoned match against Ipswich Town as "disgraceful" and detrimental to the reputation of English football.
The Championship match, which was called off in the 79th minute due to heavy rainfall rendering the pitch at Ewood Park unplayable, saw Blackburn leading 1-0 against the ten-man visitors.
On Thursday, the English Football League (EFL) board voted "by a majority" to have the match replayed in its entirety.
In an interview with BBC Radio Lancashire, Ismael shared that he has received numerous messages from colleagues abroad, including sporting directors and players, all expressing shock at the decision. "It’s a disgraceful decision, it’s bad publicity for English football," he stated.
His sentiments were echoed by the club, which expressed their "extreme disappointment" with the outcome. Ismael remarked, "When you receive that many messages from people around the world and they are all shocked, it means something is wrong." He emphasized the need for new guidelines to prevent similar situations from becoming political issues in the future.
As of now, no new date has been set for the rescheduled fixture. The EFL, in their statement regarding the decision, indicated that it follows recent precedents concerning abandoned matches and is aimed at maintaining the integrity of the league, ensuring that competitions are concluded with a complete set of fixtures.
"The board recognized that this was an incredibly difficult decision and agreed to consult clubs on the best approach to developing new guidance for future match abandonments," the EFL added.
A victory against Ipswich would have marked Blackburn's third win in four matches, as they currently sit 18th in the league table after five games. Ismael remains hopeful that his team can channel their frustration positively when they face Charlton on Saturday.
"The timing was not ideal—we're human beings and we feel the frustration because the fairness is not there," he noted. "You have a bad feeling, but it doesn’t change the performance we displayed on the pitch. I told the players that our performance was right, and we are playing with good consistency. We just need to build resilience, mental strength, and togetherness to overcome adversity. The beauty of football is that the result doesn’t matter because we have another opportunity next week. We will focus on our game and use this frustration as motivation for the upcoming match."