Blackburn Rovers boss Valerien Ismael has insisted he never agreed to the abandonment of his side’s clash with Ipswich Town, which was halted in the 80th minute due to heavy rain at Ewood Park. The Frenchman is now calling on the EFL to rule in Rovers’ favour, stressing he does not support the idea of replaying the game in full.

Referee Stephen Martin brought the contest to an early end after declaring the pitch unplayable following torrential downpours. At that point, Blackburn were 1-0 ahead thanks to Todd Cantwell’s penalty, while Ipswich had been reduced to ten men after Jacob Greaves was dismissed in the second half.

An EFL statement released after the match suggested both Ismael and Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna had agreed with the abandonment, but the Rovers chief strongly disputes that version of events.

“It was chaotic after the game, but the referee made the decision to abandon it – I didn’t agree to anything,” Ismael told RoversTV. “He said the surface was unplayable, apologised, and explained the EFL would decide the outcome. The choice was already made before I could say anything.”

Ismael argued that Blackburn were in control of the game and should be awarded the three points. “We had the momentum – one goal up, a man advantage, and pushing forward. That’s a clear benefit for us, and the fairest outcome would be to recognise that. We’ve been on the other side before against Norwich with ten men, and it shows how decisive that can be.”

He also raised concerns about the wider implications of the case. “It’s a grey area in the rules, and situations like this put the integrity of the competition at risk. If this isn’t handled properly, people will start speculating in future matches about when a game could be stopped. The EFL needs to set the right precedent.”

Both Blackburn and Ipswich have submitted their positions to the league, with a verdict now awaited on whether the result will stand, be awarded, or if the game will need to be replayed.