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          'I've never seen this in my life' - Social media reacts to Kerala Blasters' walkoff

          Ivan Vukomanovic talks to Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson before taking his players off the field. Vipin Pawar/Focus Sports/ ISL
          • ESPN staffMar 4, 2023, 09:40 AM

          A remarkable day in Indian football that will live on forever, maybe not for the right reasons.

          Sunil Chhetri's extra-time free-kick goal in the first knockout match of the ISL season resulted in a furious response by coach Ivan Vukomanovic. The Blasters' boss took all his players and staff off the pitch and refused to come back to finish the game. In the end, the referee had no choice but to call the match in Bengaluru's favour as they qualified for the semifinals with a 1-0 win.

          While the Blasters management, Vukomanovic and players are yet to talk about the incident, Chhetri and Bengaluru FC head coach Simon Grayson gave their thoughts after the match.

          "I don't know what happened. I'm still trying to figure it out - 22 years of my career, I've never seen this," Chhetri said. He also spoke about the goal, explaining his side of things and why he took the shot.

          Meanwhile, Grayson also said that in his long footballing career, he had never seen what transpired on the field on Friday. While he agreed with the referee's decision, he mentioned that he had hoped for a better way to win the match.

          From fans to players to owners, many took to social media to comment on the unprecedented scenes: