Indian soccer club sacks coach for rape analogy

Tue, Feb 2, 2021
AP Sports

NEW DELHI (AP) - A soccer coach who used an offensive analogy about rape over a refereeing decision has been sacked by his Indian Super League club.

Odisha wrote on Twitter on Tuesday it decided "to terminate" Stuart Baxter's contract with immediate effect.

The decision came a day after last-placed Odisha lost a league match 1-0 and Baxter said in a post-match TV interview: "You need decisions to go your way and they didn't. I don't know when we're going to get a penalty. I think one of my players would have to rape someone or get raped himself if he was going to get a penalty."

Odisha immediately issued an apology saying the comment was "completely unacceptable whatever the context."

Baxter, a former South Africa coach, was hired last year by Odisha.

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