"Told the referee 'I don't want the whistle [or] the 10 yards'" - Sunil Chhetri on controversial goal for Bengaluru FC against Kerala Blasters FC | OneFootball

"We got the free-kick. I told the referee 'I don't want the whistle, neither do I want the wall.' He asked me 'Are you sure?' I said 'Yes.' Adrian Luna was standing right on the ball, he blocked my first attempt, I assumed he knew what I was going to do. He turned again, he blocked again, I had no space.

"I was about to ask the referee to have 10 yards - I do that every game. Almost all the time, a guy will stand on the ball, and I'll then (try) to get the 10 yards. But I got a small window where I could (take it quickly) and when you try this, even if somebody blocks, you get a free-kick again, so always an advantageous position."

"The marking is where the ball is - the ball doesn't move - and then he'll whistle and say '10 yards.' It's not the first time I've tried this. What happens is, every team has one guy - our team has Suresh (Wangjam) - who will step on the ball so that they don't take a quick free-kick.

"For them, it's Luna. He stood on the ball, I tried, he stopped me. It's not easy for a referee who tells me '10 yards' and then I do that, and he'll allow it. So I did tell him distinctly twice 'I don't want the whistle, I don't want the 10 yards.'"

"It's happened to me once, twice - I can't leave the ground. You will get huge chances. No matter what happens, I've been told, I've been taught 'Don't leave the ground.' Fight, play.

"It doesn't change anything, I understand their feeling, I probably would've done the same. I would've been angry, but I'm being very honest, I will not leave. Even if my club wants to leave, I won't."

"I don't want any controversy, please. I respect their decision; it's theirs After 22 years, I've never seen it. If there's any youngsters watching it, do not. If any one of the national team boys in their team would've asked me, I would've told him 'Do not leave the ground.' Be angry, put a bloody file, whatever you want to do, but do not leave the pitch.

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