New Delhi: Dempo coach Armando Colaco said on Monday it was necessary to have qualified match commissioners for proper conduct of I-League matches.

Colaco, who had coached the Goa outfit to two consecutive titles in the National Football League (NFL) and the I-League, said the lack of qualified match commissioners in the I-League had led to several disputes.

Colaco made these comments while taking part in a seminar for referees and coaches organised by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) in Goa on Monday.

Many decisions of the referees had come under severe criticism in the I-League this season. Many clubs alleged that they were victims of poor supervision during the first leg of the I-League.

One of the coaches, who attended the seminar, later said: “It was a valid point raised by the Dempo coach. In I-League, sometimes people with very little technical knowledge are appointed match commissioners. The appointments are sometimes used as a tool to oblige people.”

Colaco also urged the referees to be more careful in their supervision of matches. “One wrong decision by a referee can totally spoil a team’s standings in the league. The coach of the team also may lose his job in the process.”

The referees, however, received support from the national coach Bob Houghton, who urged the coaches not to indulge in criticising the referees regularly.

Houghton pointed out that the referees also work under immense pressure and are bound to commit mistakes. Moreover, the referees, like the coaches, do not enjoy the privilege of making their points to the media after every match.