Kerala Blasters FC lodge complaint against Bengaluru FC's Ryan Williams for inappropriate gesture towards Aibanbha Dohling

Kerala Blasters FC has issued a statement addressing the incident involving Bengaluru FC's Ryan Williams and Aibhanbha Dohling during the opening match of the 2023-24 Indian Super League.

The club has officially filed a complaint against Williams for his gesture, which involved pinching his nose in the direction of one of their players.

In a match that saw Kerala Blasters secure a 2-1 victory over their arch-rivals, the otherwise thrilling contest was marred by Williams' second-half action towards Dohling.

At that juncture, Kerala Blasters held a comfortable 2-0 lead, with an own goal by Keziah Veendorp and a goal by Adrian Luna contributing to their lead. In the 81st minute, an incident occurred involving Dohling and Williams, with the latter making the nose-pinching gesture aimed at the full-back.

A similar incident happened in 2007 when Olympique Lyon's striker Milan Baros made a nose-pinching gesture towards Cameroon midfielder Stephane M’Bia. This led to the Czech striker receiving a three-match suspension.

However, the LFP disciplinary committee, in its ruling, clarified that the gesture was not considered racist.

Kerala Blasters FC get their revenge on Bengaluru FC

This fixture has involved controversy in the past too, especially last season, when Sunil Chhetri’s quickly taken free-kick was awarded as a goal during the playoff tie. Ivan Vukomanvoic and his players walked off the pitch in protest of the decision, with the Blues being awarded the win.

Nevertheless, Kerala Blasters FC took their long-awaited revenge against Bengaluru FC in the opening game of the current Indian Super League season.

Following a cautious first half, the Blasters, spurred on by the passionate support of Manjappada, took control in the second half. Their efforts were rewarded with Veendorp's own goal from a corner.

Adrian Luna then took advantage of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu's costly error to extend the lead to 2-0. Although BFC's new signing, Curtis Main, scored his first goal for the club in stoppage time, it proved insufficient for Simon Grayson's side.

While the match was played in good spirits, this incident has cast a shadow over an otherwise high-quality game. The potential actions the Indian Super League may take regarding Ryan Williams and his gesture remain to be seen.