ISL 2020-21: Odisha FC fire head coach Stuart Baxter after he makes weird rape analogy

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Bengaluru, February 2: Odisha FC on Tuesday (February 2) sacked head coach Stuart Baxter after the Englishman courted controversy with a weird rape analogy after the club's defeat to Jamshedpur FC on Monday (Feburary 1).

In an ISL 2020-21 match, Jamshedpur had defeated Odisha FC 1-0 the previous night. "Odisha FC has decided to terminate Head Coach, Stuart Baxter's contract with immediate effect. The interim coach for the remainder of the season will be announced soon," the club said in a statement.

The Englishman Baxter had stirred the hornets' nest when he used a bizarre analogy to describe his team's difficulty in getting refereeing decisions their way. "You need the decisions to go your way and we needed a penalty. I think one of my players would have to rape someone or get raped himself if he was going to get a penalty," Baxter had said in the post-match interview.

The Odisha had immediately distanced themselves from Baxter's comments. "The Club is appalled at the comments made by Head Coach, Stuart Baxter during the post-match interview today. It is completely unacceptable whatever the context and does not reflect the values of the club. We, at Odisha FC, unreservedly apologize and the club management will handle this matter internally," the club had tweeted soon after the comments of Baxter turned into a raging controversy.

"I'll blame it on poor decision making in our defending, not brave enough in our build-up play and not keeping our balance and shape. I thought once we got into the final third our movement was quite good. As the game went further into the 90 minutes the level of nervousness goes up so you don't play with the same precision. That's also something. Lack of imagination is something I would like to criticise but I won't blame," said Baxter.

Odisha's only win of the season had come against Kerala Blasters wherein they won the match 4-2. However, the side has been on a downward spiral since then and Baxter said his team has not had luck in their favour.