Bhaichung Bhutia, slapped with a show-cause notice by Mohun Bagan last week, has decided to leave the club. The 33-year-old striker sought a release order on Monday, and sources said it was unlikely that he would reconsider his decision. The Bagan management had questioned Bhutia’s on-field commitment and asked him to explain his absence from the team’s training sessions before important matches. He had been barred from attending practice until he filed a reply.

The Bagan skipper dropped in at the Howrah Corporation Stadium on Monday afternoon, when his team mates were gearing up for their concluding AFC Cup tie against Syria’s Al Karama. He talked to his colleagues and coach Karim Bencherifa before making his decision official.

“I can’t motivate myself to play for Mohun Bagan after what has happened in the last few days. I met with the club accountant Debashis Dutta and have sought the release order. I have told him that parting ways would be the best thing to maintain the formal relationship between us,” Bhutia told reporters.

Irked with the way the Mohun Bagan management, and especially club secretary Anjan Mitra, had handled the issue, Bhutia said that he had expected more professionalism from the officials. “It (the show-cause notice) was a public gimmick. The situation could’ve been handled in a more professional manner. The show-cause notice was made public before I received it. It depends on how you manage your organisation — things like this are bound to happen if there’s mismanagement,” Bhutia said.

... contd.