SC East Bengal coach Robbie Fowler was, on Wednesday, suspended for four matches and fined Rs 5 lakh after the disciplinary committee of All India Football Federation (AIFF) found him being guilty of making “insulting” remarks against Indian referees during the ongoing ISL VII.

The former England World Cupper though insisted there was nothing racist about his outburst.

Fowler would be back in the dug-out for the last league match, against Odisha FC on February 27. East Bengal are 10th in the points table.

Fowler was in the dock for stating that he was “not sure whether the referees have an anti-English thing or anti-East Bengal thing” during a match against FC Goa on January 29. The match ended 1-1.

“The committee held such utterances and publications are gross inconceivable derogatory and contemptuous aspersions apart from blatant malice on the part of Mr. Fowler and tends to offend the dignity, reputation and image of the referees in India,” read the panel’s detailed order.

Fowler, according to the committee, “said that he never intended to make any racist remarks and no malice was ever intended.”

The former Liverpool striker was charged under Articles 50.4, 58 and 59.1 of the AIFF disciplinary code.

Of these, article 59.1 specifically deals with offences related to racist remarks. “...sanctions under Article 59(1)(a) of the disciplinary code could have been reasonably imposed upon Fowler, but the committee withheld such sanction for the time being...,” the order read.