Arunava about Football A look at football & the world through my eyes!
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There is a heated argument going on in Kolkata at the moment in what is amongst the biggest football centres in India, some would say the heart of Indian football, about which team or club is the biggest there.
It all started on Monday, December 19, when Atletico de Kolkata principle owner Sanjiv Goenka said at ATK’s ISL-3 title celebrations at the Quest Mall in the City of Joy, “Atletico de Kolkata now has more fans than East Bengal and Mohun Bagan!”
It is not known, if Sanjiv Goenka said it in the heat of the moment or actually meant it that way, but this didn’t go down too well with the fans and officials of the city giants Mohun Bagan and East Bengal, who play in the I-League.
The toughest comment came from I-League and Federation Cup winning Mohun Bagan coach Sanjoy Sen, when he said, “They are like the goat’s third child who jump up and down. There are a lot like that so we don’t worry about all this being said.”
Not the best thing to say, but this kept the discussions going and the AIFF’s Senior Vice-President Subrata Dutta made it even worse for ATK by saying to the media, “All the fans of Atletico are basically East Bengal and Mohun Bagan fans. They love their club and then they love their city. That’s why they cheered for Atletico. After the merger, none of them will be supporting ATK.”
The follow-up statements surely has not defused the tension especially with the merger of the Indian Super League and I-League being currently discussed and how the one club per city/state depending on size is implemented.
In an what I feel ideal scenario, all three would face each other on the field of play and then we will know, who is the best and/or biggest club of them all in Kolkata.
Until then this useless theoretical debate will continue.
