Indian Super League side Odisha SACK manager Stuart Baxter after English boss, 67, launched a bizarre rant and claimed his players must 'rape or be raped to get a penalty' on live television

• Stuart Baxter was furious with refereeing after a defeat in Indian Super League 
• He made comment that his players must 'rape or get raped' to win a penalty 
• Odisha released a statement saying they are 'appalled' by 'unacceptable' remark
• The conducted internal investigation and have sacked the English boss  

An English manager in charge of Indian Super League side Odisha has been sacked after claiming his players must 'rape or get raped to win a penalty'. 

Stuart Baxter's extraordinary outburst came when he conducted a post-match interview having seen his team lose 1-0 to Jamshedpur. 

The 67-year-old went on a bizarre rant and said: 'You need decisions to go your way, and they didn't. I don't know when we are going to get a penalty. I think one of my players will have to rape someone or get raped himself if he was going to get a penalty.'

Baxter, former manager of South Africa and Finland, was initially condemned by Odisha for his remarks and subsequently removed from his position.

Baxter's shocking interview was broadcast live on Star Sports, India's biggest sports television network. Last year alone, the weekly viewership for Star Sports Hindi peaked at 1300 million. Those tuning in to hear Baxter's comments will no doubt have had a similar reaction to many disgusted fans online. 

One responded to news of his sacking by writing that Baxter 'deserves this' and another added that his words were 'disgraceful'.  

When the club became aware of what the manager had said, they released a statement: 'The club is appalled at the comments made by Head Coach, Stuart Baxter during the post-match interview today.

'It is completely unacceptable whatever the context and does not reflect the values of the club. 

'We, at Odisha FC, unreservedly apologise and the club management will handle this matter internally.'

And that was followed up with: 'Odisha FC has decided to terminate Head Coach, Stuart Baxter's contract with immediate effect. The interim coach for the remainder of the season will be announced soon.' 

The Indian Super League is growing in prominence every year despite competing with the country's top sport, cricket. It follows the same franchise model as the hugely lucrative Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition. 

And fan attendances are regularly more than 50,000 in a stadium, outside of the pandemic-hit world. A number of top European and world stars have played in the competition before, including Roberto Carlos, Alessandro Del Piero, Robert Pires, Robbie Keane and Nicolas Anelka.

Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler is currently the manager of SC East Bengal and there has been a yearly rise in viewing figures. 

Baxter took the Odisha job last year and leaves the team bottom of the Indian Super League having picked up eight points from 14 games so far this season. 

His comments will be seen not only as damaging for the Indian Super League and Odisha, but also problematic given the widely reported issues regarding rape in India, which has been described as a 'crisis'. 

According to government data from 2019, nearly four women are raped every hour in the country and that number would in all likelihood be higher given that not all offences are reported.