Former internationals I.M. Vijayan and Jo-Paul Ancheri watch Kerala’s Santosh Trophy match against Assam, on Monday

Calcutta: On the field, they once were a deadly pair for their club, state and country. Off it, they are still the best of friends. Almost inseparable, you could say, as their coaching careers, too, are about to take off in Calcutta, a city that has given loads of love and affection to I.M. Vijayan and Jo-Paul Ancheri.

Just like Bhaichung Bhutia, who was there to root for his Sikkim team, Vijayan and Ancheri were present to support their state Kerala who thrashed Assam 5-2 on the day.

“It may not be a very big thing in Bengal but in Kerala, Santosh Trophy remains a coveted title. During the match, I was getting calls from back home enquiring about the result. Since Kerala doesn’t boast of a top I-League team, the public still connects with the state football team,” Ancheri, who is now coach of the Mohun Bagan academy, told The Telegraph on Monday.

Vijayan admitted that with the advent of the I-League, the popularity of Santosh Trophy had taken a dip. “I remember playing in front of a packed house in Palakkad. With no national league, you had players like Bhaichung, myself, Krishanu Dey slogging out for state teams. Now it’s a different story. Still, you can unearth a lot of raw talent in this competition,” Vijayan said.

Ancheri feels that all Santosh Trophy matches should have been held in the enclosed grounds. “More people would have come to watch the matches, if they had been held at Mohun Bagan or Mohammedan Sporting grounds,” Ancheri said.