https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Football_in_KolkataFootball in Kolkata - Revision history2026-07-31T15:32:48ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Football_in_Kolkata&diff=117406&oldid=prev>Billjones94 at 11:40, 2 July 20212021-07-02T11:40:45Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|Overview of football in Kolkata}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}<br />
[[File:Salt Lake Stadium - Yuva Bharati Krirangan, Kolkata - Calcutta 5.jpg|thumb|270x270px|[[Mohun Bagan A.C.|Mohun Bagan]] taking on [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] at the [[Salt Lake Stadium]] in 2008.]]<br />
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[[Association football|Football]] is one of the most popular sports in [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]].<ref name="Football Passion Kolkata">{{cite web|title=Football - the passion play in Kolkata|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/football--the-passion-play-in-kolkata/211371-55.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111155154/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/football--the-passion-play-in-kolkata/211371-55.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 January 2012|website=IBN Live|access-date=11 August 2014}}</ref> [[East Bengal F.C.|East Bengal]], [[Mohun Bagan A.C.|Mohun Bagan]] and [[Mohammedan S.C. (Kolkata)|Mohammedan]] are the heart of [[Kolkata]] football. The rivalry between [[Mohun Bagan A.C.|Mohun Bagan]] and [[East Bengal F.C.|East Bengal]] is one of the fiercest in the world and is considered a flagship event in the Indian footballing calendar. Kolkata is known to be the hub of Indian football with the two most supported teams in the country being based within the city – Mohun Bagan and East Bengal. Both teams used to play against each other in the [[Kolkata derby]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Mohun Bagan VS East Bengal|url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/clubs/rivalries/newsid=1414458/index.html|website=FIFA|access-date=11 August 2014}}</ref> The city is also home to the biggest stadium in India, the [[Salt Lake Stadium|Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan]], which as of 2015 has a capacity of 85,000. The record attendance of 131,000<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/1064/i-league/2011/11/19/2762641/mohun-bagan-vs-east-bengal-the-deadly-derby-awaits-please-fasten-|title=The Deadly Derby Awaits - Please Fasten Your Seat Belts|website=www.goal.com|language=en|access-date=2018-06-02}}</ref> came in a match between the said two teams in the [[East Bengal 4–1 Mohun Bagan|semifinal of the 1997 Federation Cup]].<br />
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==Footballers who have visited Kolkata==<br />
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Because it is India's football capital, many international footballing personalities have visited Kolkata. In 1977, [[Mohun Bagan A.C.|Mohun Bagan]] played a friendly match against the famous North American Soccer League club [[New York Cosmos (1970–85)|New York Cosmos]], which featured [[Pelé]]. The match, which took place at Eden Gardens, had an attendance of 80,000. The match ended 2–2. Others who have visited Kolkata are Argentinean footballing legends [[Diego Maradona]] and current Argentinean footballing star [[Leo Messi]]. German legends, including [[Franz Beckenbauer]] and [[Oliver Kahn]], have also visited. The best goalkeeper in football history, Russian footballer [[Lev Yashin]], visited in 1955 and 1973. English World Cup–winning legend [[Bobby Moore]] was the chief guest during the 1984 [[Nehru Cup]]. Emeka Ezuego, the Nigerian World Cup player, played for [[East Bengal]] and [[Mohammedan S.C. (Kolkata)|Mohammedan Sporting]]. [[Majid Bishkar]], the Iranian World Cup player, played for East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting from 1980 to 1986. Cameroon footballing legend [[Roger Milla]] played for Diamond Club in some exhibition matches in the Centenary Celebration of [[Mohun Bagan A.C.|Mohun Bagan]]. Uruguay football captain [[Diego Forlan]] visited Kolkata in 2010. [[Karl-Heinz Rummenigge]] visited in 2010. Julian Caminho visited Kolkata twice—first in 1988 to play for East Bengal and again in 2011. [[MacDonald Mukansi]] played for East Bengal in 2007.<br />
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Others who have also visited are [[Terry Paine]], [[Carlos Alberto Torres]], [[Enzo Francescoli]], Valencia Ramos, [[Jorge Burruchaga]], [[Ricardo Gareca]], [[László Kiss (footballer)|László Kiss]], [[Nicky Butt]], [[Włodzimierz Smolarek]], [[Andrzej Buncol]], [[Eusébio]], [[Ronald Koeman]], [[Paul Breitner]], and [[Swansea City]]'s [[Neil Taylor (footballer)|Neil Taylor]].<br />
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==Footballers from West Bengal==<br />
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The state of West Bengal has contributed many legends to Indian football, such as<br />
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*[[Chuni Goswami]], first [[Padma Shri]] awardee, awarded best striker of Asia in 1962.<br />
*[[Gostho Pal]] , footballer. Member of the Mohun Bagan team that won the IFA shield against a British team in the pre- independence period.<br />
*[[Krishanu Dey]], footballer, known as the "Indian Maradona".<br />
*[[Mohammed Salim (footballer)|Mohammed Salim]], first player from the Indian subcontinent to play overseas, in the year 1936 for the Scottish Club [[Celtic F.C.]].<br />
*[[Pradip Kumar Banerjee]], named Indian Footballer of the 20th Century by FIFA.<br />
*[[Shailen Manna]], Footballer, the only Asian Footballer ever to be named among the 10 best Captains in the world by the English FA in 1953.<br />
*[[Subrata Paul]], footballer playing for the Indian team, first Indian goalkeeper to play professionally for a foreign club in 1st division.<br />
*[[Sudip Chatterjee (footballer)|Sudip Chatterjee]] , footballer, considered among the finest in Indian football, declared AIFF player of the decade in 1994.<br />
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==International Football==<br />
*[[Robin Dutt]], former manager of [[Bundesliga]] club, [[Werder Bremen]].<br />
*[[Neil Taylor (footballer)|Neil Taylor]], [[Wales|Welsh]] footballer of half-Bengali origin.<br />
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==Arjuna award winners==<br />
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* [[Pradip Kumar Banerjee|P.K Bannerjee]]<br />
* [[Chuni Goswami]]<br />
* Arun Lal Ghosh<br />
* [[Prasun Banerjee]]<br />
* Sudhir Karmakar<br />
* Shanti Mullick<br />
* [[Subrata Bhattacharya (footballer)|Subrata Bhattacharya]]<br />
* [[Deepak Mondal|Deepak Kumar Mondal]]<br />
* [[Subrata Pal]]<br />
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==West Bengal football team==<br />
{{Main|West Bengal football team}}<br />
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The West Bengal football team is an Indian football team representing [[West Bengal]] in the [[Santosh Trophy]].<br />
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They have appeared in the Santosh Trophy finals 43 times, and have won the trophy 31 times, (the most by any team). Prior to 1972, the team competed as 'Bengal'.<br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[Football in Greater Manchester]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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{{Football in India}}<br />
{{Football in Kolkata}}<br />
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[[Category:Football in Kolkata| ]]</div>>Billjones94