'They don't like Arabs'

Sri Lankan Kuwaiti head coach Abdullah Al Mutairi turned his post-match press conference into a lengthy tirade against the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) after his side suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Bangladesh, which ended their SAFF Championship campaign.

Rather than dwelling on the heavy defeat, Al Mutairi used the occasion to launch a scathing attack on SAFF's legal department head Tanjim Ahmed Khan, questioning the federation's disciplinary procedures and alleging discriminatory treatment. He also announced that he would never return to the SAFF region for another tournament.

Al Mutairi began by congratulating Bangladesh on their victory before turning his attention to an email he claimed to have received from Tanzim in the middle of the night.

"He sent me an email at midnight, saying that I should be investigated. Why at midnight? Why couldn't he wait until 9am?" the Sri Lankan coach said.

The Kuwaiti coach also revisited his previous experiences at the 2021 SAFF Championship, claiming he had been unfairly prevented from being in the dugout during the final after receiving two yellow cards in separate matches. He insisted that the competition regulations did not contain any such provision.

Citing the 2023 India-Pakistan match, Al Mutairi accused SAFF of applying different standards to different coaches. He alleged that India's coach had touched a Pakistani player without facing disciplinary action, while he was now being threatened with a six-month or one-year suspension and a $10,000 fine over what he described as a minor comment.

He also read out parts of the email from SAFF, which, according to him, raised concerns over his criticism of refereeing decisions and demands for Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention.

Al Mutairi claimed that he had been given just 10 hours to respond and had submitted a written explanation covering 14 points. Despite that, he questioned why further disciplinary action was being pursued against him.

His frustration soon turned personal as he directed a strong warning towards Tanzim.

"If we meet before Allah on the Day of Judgement, nobody will be able to protect you. I will raise my complaint against you on that day," he said.

The Sri Lankan coach went further, alleging racial discrimination against Arabs within SAFF.

"I believe there is a problem in SAFF. They don't like Arabs," he said before making his announcement: "This is my last tournament in the SAFF region."

The lengthy outburst came before Al Mutairi allowed journalists to ask questions. However, he eventually responded to one question about whether the 4-0 defeat to Bangladesh was an expected outcome, given that Sri Lanka had entered the tournament with hopes of reaching the semi-finals.

"In football, you have to accept everything and be prepared for everything. But after receiving that email, I already knew that we were going to lose," he said.

He also questioned SAFF's urgency in pursuing disciplinary proceedings, drawing a comparison with FIFA's handling of incidents during the World Cup.

"During the World Cup, did FIFA take any action? No. They investigated after the World Cup was over. So why is Tanzim in such a hurry?" he asked.

Al Mutairi thanked those present before leaving the press conference, bringing an extraordinary night to an end.

Sri Lanka's campaign ended with a comprehensive defeat on the pitch, but their coach ensured that the post-match discussion would revolve as much around his allegations against SAFF as the result itself.