Robert Pires Claims He Was Punched by Indian Super League Coach Antonio Lopez

Robert Pires has claimed he was "punched in the face" and "beaten" by Atletico de Kolkata coach Antonio Lopez Habas, according to FC Goa boss Zico.

Pires, who represents Goa in the Indian Super League, suggested he was attacked during the half-time break of Thursday's heated clash between the two sides. Zico described the alleged incident after the match, as reported by Sudipo Ganguly of Reuters and via the Daily Mail:

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The other thing that happened which is more serious is that one of our players said that he was beaten by the coach of the other team. Pires said he was punched in the face by the Atletico coach and it is very shameful. I am telling you what my players told me and I didn't see that myself but I don't think that Pires will lie and say something that didn't happen.

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Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images

Utsav Parekh, co-owner of the Atletico Madrid-affiliated Kolkata side, played down events and indicated the truth will be easy to find, per Ganguly's report:

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Look, none of us was present on the spot when the alleged incident took place. We are writing to the ISL about it and we expect them to investigate the matter and come out with the truth. CCTV footage is available and so it will not be very difficult to establish the truth. Whatever the incident, one can find that out from the CCTV footage.

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The ISL has confirmed it has received correspondence from both teams and that the matter will be referred to the regulatory commissioner.

Kolkata maintained their position atop the division after coming from behind to win the match 2-1. Three wins and one draw from a quartet of matches sees the side four points ahead of Chennaiyin FC, who have two games in hand, per Soccerway. These two are the only unbeaten teams left in the eight-strong division.

The away win over Goa certainly produced plenty of drama on the pitch. Kolkata received four of seven yellow cards in a heated clash between two sides who possess some ageing talent familiar to European audiences.

Aside from Pires, Goa utilise former Arsenal and Fenerbahce left-back Andre Santos in midfield. He scored the opener against Kolkata, before Cavin Lobo netted a brace to lift his side to the table's summit, per the Indian Super League's official Twitter account:

You can see all the goals below:

Ex-Liverpool defender Josemi started for the victors, who also boast former Reds, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid favourite Luis Garcia.

Garcia noted the importance of the win and support from the fans:

Zico's Goa side remain winless after three matches. Only the draw with NorthEast United stops them from occupying the foot of the table alongside David James' Kerala Blasters, who boast former Premier League striker Michael Chopra.

The ISL is proving to be an ultra competitive and highly interesting spectacle, not least because veteran stars have found a way of extending their career in South Asia. Based on the quickfire schedule of cricket's Twenty20 format, the league is set to conclude in December, having started earlier this month.

MATT DUNHAM/Associated Press

Pires' claims are undoubtedly serious and could yield heavy punishments for those involved. The ISL may be keen to highlight its authority at this point in the season, making it clear any incidents of misconduct will be sanctioned appropriately. Of course, it is still to be proven whether Lopez committed the offence.

Lopez is an experienced boss who has spent time with Valencia, Tenerife and Celta Vigo during his 24-year managerial career. He will perhaps be nervous about receiving a potentially disruptive ban which could negatively impact his side's hopes of landing the domestic title.