Thaindian News

New Delhi, April 11 (IANS) India’s chief football coach Bob Houghton, in his reply to the showcause notice slapped on him by All India Football Federation (AIFF), Monday denied making any racist allegations against Indian referee Dinesh Nair during an international friendly last year.

After a 30-minute meeting with the four-member AIFF committee, Houghton, along with his lawyer Anish Dayal, came out smiling but refused to divulge the proceedings. During the meeting, Dayal presented the case on behalf of Houghton.

“I am in the middle of legal issues and don’t want to comment anything on it,” Houghton told IANS.

AIFF secretary general Kushal Das, who is also a part of the committee, said that the Englishman has denied the charges, including that of racism, against him.

“The committee will go through his reply and hear him again on April 20,” Das said.

The other allegations against Houghton are poor performance in the Asian Cup and friendly matches and selection of unfit players without consulting the technical committee, working against the interests of the federation, negligence in using the resources of AIFF (Houghton’s mobile phone bill last July ran up to Rs.190,000 and was Rs.108,000 in August) and utilising AIFF resources for personal purposes. Houghton has also to submit details to the AIFF of Rs.462,000 in expenses incurred by him.

Asked if the committee was satisfied with Houghton’s reply, Das refused to comment and said: “The committee is looking into it.”

A top official in the AIFF, on condition of anonymity, however told IANS that the committee was not satified with the coach’s reply and was looking for paving the way for the smooth exit of Houghton, who draws a monthly remuneration of $30,000.

Houghton’s contract runs till 2013 and sacking the Englishman may cost the AIFF a compensation package of $1 million.

AIFF president Praful Patel is also extremely unhappy with Houghton and the federation is trying to get rid of the coach on grounds of racial abuse.