NEW DELHI: A day after accusing just-retired Baichung Bhutia of match-rigging in 2006, former coach Syed Nayeemuddin on Thursday made a U-turn and said that he had committed a mistake by making the allegations on the former Indian football captain.
Hours after Baichung announced his international retirement on Wednesday, Dronacharya awardee coach Nayeemuddin accused him of rigging India's Asian Cup qualifiers match against Yemen in 2006 to discredit him.
"It was a misunderstanding between me and Baichung and I had no personal enmity with him. I had committed a mistake. I am willing to speak to Baichung and may be say sorry to him," Nayeemuddin said.
The Dronacharya awardee coach said that he had wrongly thought that Baichung led a plot with other players to rig the match.
"It was a mistake on my part to have thought that Baichung had a meeting with other players to do something against me during Asian Cup qualifiers. I have come to know that it was a meeting to discuss formation of Football Players Association of India (of which Baichung is now president). I have been wrongly told by some people," said the former coach who was sacked after a string of poor performances by India in early 2006.
Baichung, on his part, played down the controversy, saying that he would accept Nayeemuddin's clarification and consider it a close chapter.
"I am happy that Nayeemuddin has accepted that he has done some mistake and misunderstood me. Anybody can commit mistake and have misunderstanding with somebody. So I am OK with it. I have no personal enmity with him," said the former striker who had been the poster boy of Indian football for the major part of the last two decades.
Baichung said he had decided not to react to Nayeemuddin's comments as he did not want to blow it up into another controversy.
"My phone has been ringing since yesterday with people and journalists asking for my reaction on Nayeemuddin's allegations. I said I am not going to react to it. I don't want to make it a big thing that Baichung has also reacted and all. I did not want it," said Baichung who retired on Wednesday after an illustrious 16-year career since 1995 after battling a recurring calf muscle injury.
"I want to forget the whole episode now. I have no bitter feelings but I want to forget it once for all," said Baichung who had played 107 international matches and scored 42 goals before his retirement.
Nayeemuddin praised Baichung as one of the best talents India has ever produced and who could have been among the best in Asia.
"He was one of the best talents India has ever produced. I had wanted him to be the best striker not in India but in Asia. So I wanted him to play in Japanese league to sharpen his skills," said Nayeemuddin.
Asked about his famed 'military style' training methods which allegedly was the cause of friction with Baichung and some other players also when he was the India coach, Nayeemuddin said, "Baichung has right to disagree with my style of training. But I felt it was the way to go at that time and even now also."
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