Neymar of Brazil and Messi of Argentina

When you enter Salt Lake from the SAI flank of the stadium, a huge Brazil flag hangs overhead, as if marking the start of the football superpower’s territory. But lest you think the township is Selecao land, walk two steps further. There is a sky blue-and-white flag as well, staking the Albiceleste’s claim to allegiance.

As in the rest of Calcutta, Salt Lake is pulsating with football fever. But what sets this township apart is the fact that three years ago Lionel Messi, the talismanic skipper of Argentina, had set his magical left foot here, spent five days at a Salt Lake address and played at the stadium next door to a packed gallery. So had Diego Maradona, six years ago.

Look sharp and you will realise that the autorickshaws parked next to the stadium ply more between Brasilia and Buenos Aires in spirit than between SAI and Karunamoyee these days. Some wear their loyalty in the form of fluttering flags. The drivers are divided in allegiance and let go of no chance to jeer the other camp. “Brazil jeetlo. Pordin-i amra sobai ke khaoalam. Argentina jeetlo, ekhono mishti elo na. Oder mishti planeey kore onno desh theke ashchhe (Brazil won and we treated everyone at the stand to sweets. Nothing came of Argentina’s celebration. Their treat is coming from a different land by air),” says Chiranjit Majumdar, the most vocal in the Brazil camp.

Both sides have raised money to print banners of their respective teams which hang side by side at the stand at the SAI gate. With both Brazil and Argentina marching into the quarter-finals, the rivalry has developed an edge. Since Brazil seems to enjoy superiority in numbers, the Argentine supporters are more cautious in defence. “Ora haat diye goal kore champion, amra pa diye football khele,” comes a jibe, referring to Maradona’s infamous “hand of god” goal in 1986 en route to the finals.

The banners are also points of contention. Ashish Ghosh of Team Brazil points to how the Argentines have forgotten Maradona and have showcased only the current side. “Look at our banner. We have all the greats — Pele and Ronaldo beside Neymar.” As he argues, an Argentina supporter walks by, muttering just loud enough for the rivals to hear: “Peler chhele jail-ey (Pele’s son is in jail).” A goal was scored, albeit with a shrewd below-the-belt blue-and-white manoeuvre that deflated the Brazil boys momentarily.

A Brazil flag greets visitors to Salt Lake. (Mayukh Sengupta)	Supporters hang an Argentina flag at the auto stand

The colour of the team jerseys is also a point to thrust and parry over. The Argentine camp draw strength from the fact that the chief minister Mamata Banerjee is herself rooting for Messi and Co. “Her favourite colour combination is blue and white,” Rabi Kamila said smugly. “But look at our auto colours. It is green and yellow,” chuckled a triumphant Chiranjeet. What would they do if it is decreed that autorickshaws have to conform to the government’s favoured colour scheme? “Auto chalano chhere debo,” pat comes the reply.

United in wish

But all the drivers are united in the hope of a Brazil-Argentina final. “We will raise money to put up a giant screen at our stand and watch the match together,” said Chiranjeet, as Rabi and the other Messi devotees nod in agreement. “Oboshyo shei match-ey Argentina harbe. Neymar hat-trick korbe (Of course, Argentina will lose the match after Neymar’s hat-trick),” he quickly adds, triggering a fresh round of arguments.

Many Argentina fans remember seeing Messi play at the stadium. “I thought Argentina underplayed in Calcutta but right now they are a treat to watch. And I won’t deny the nostalgia in watching Messi play on TV now,” said Arjun Basu of CD Block. Two Salt Lake residents may get to see him up close again, having set off for Brazil on Tuesday morning. “This is my father’s fifth World Cup journey. I was adamant that this time he has to take me along,” said 23-year-old Rajdeep Chakraborty of CJ Block, who happens to be Bidhannagar Municipality chairperson Krishna Chakraborty’s son. “Over the last month, when I prepared to wake up, I would find father and son coming to bed,” she laughs.

The duo have tickets for a quarter-final, the two semi-finals and the final. Rajdeep recalled meeting Messi when he was in Salt Lake. “He shook hands with each of us waiting to see him in the Hyatt Regency lobby.

Food and football

At The Stadel, the lounge bar Heka has been done up in football decor. A giant Brazuca, the World Cup’s official ball, opens to let revellers in. Next to it, stands a cut-out of Fuleco the Armadilo, the tournament’s mascot. “We are selling food drawn from cuisines of the participating nations and beverages named after the stars,” said Ayan Mitra, the general manager. While the two star forwards in no. 10 shirts may be tied on the goal-scoring table, here Neymar’s Caipirinha, a Brazilian rum-based cocktail, has far outstripped Messi’s Dribble, an orange juice-grenadine syrup mocktail, in sales. “We have no doubt who is winning the Golden ball here,” Mitra smiled. Among the main dishes, Asado with Chimichuri, an Argentine platter of lamb chops, chicken sausages and mutton kidneys, is walking away with the Cup in terms of consumer preference. The German Sauer Braten, a dish of pot-roasted chicken and lamb, is the runner-up. “When people drop by in groups to catch the 9.30pm matches here, we find that it is women in the age group of 25 to 35 who order drinks going chiefly by the names of their favourite stars.” The hotel has registered a 30 per cent increase in food and beverage sales since the World Cup started.

At Bapida’s food stall in Karunamoyee, a customer who came wearing a German jersey recently was asked to change and come if he expected to be served. “Of course, I was joking,” says stall owner Bapi Banerjee. “But if someone comes sporting a Brazil jersey he can get his choice of dish for free. And this, I am not joking about.”

Bapida, an ardent Brazil fan, may not have done up his stall in Brazil colours, but a few meters away, a soft drinks stall sports flags of Germany, France, Brazil and Argentina. This stall is run by Karunamoyee residents Monojit Ghosh and Shibtosh Majumdar, fans of Argentina and Brazil respectively.

One wonders why the Argentina flag is much bigger than the Brazilian one in their stall and Ghosh says bluntly: “It’s because I went to buy the flags.”

Ghosh says this last month he and his partner have spent more time on football than business. They have paid in advance for two 20-ft flags of Brazil and Argentina and either one will be put up soon. “We’ve placed a bet with each other over our team’s performances. The winner will get to put up his team’s flag.”

Their shop is a den of football lovers who come for lassi and discuss the game. “My partner and I are constantly fighting over our teams and customers need half a chance to join us. Adda over football has become the new pass-time in Salt Lake,” says Ghosh.

Monojit Ghosh at his soft drinks stall bedecked in World Cup colours at Karunamoyee crossing. Picture by Mayukh Sengupta	The entrance to Heka lounge bar at The Stadel

The footpath outside FD Park too is done up with posters and small flags of Brazil and Argentina. “When the rush is less, I cut blue and white tarpaulin sheets to make Argentina flags,” smiles roll and chowmein-seller Srikanta Bairagi. “About 30 of us soccer fans, some of whom live in the area and some who have stalls here, have put these up.” The decor is a conversation starter among customers.

They have bigger flags but they’re scared of the rains. “We’re only putting them up before the big games,” says Bairagi, straightening an Argentina flag that had got windswept.

But when an upturned Brazil flag was pointed to him, he refused to fix it, saying it would amount to betraying Argentina.

Time to bend a Brazuca

At the Adidas outlet in City Centre, the Brazuca, the matchball adopted by FIFA for the World Cup, has been so much in demand that even the ball in the shop window has been snatched up. “People mostly come to buy an Argentina jersey. Some customers also look for the kind of boots worn by Lionel Messi,” a salesman said. The six-panel Brazuca (which means non-residential Brazilian) costs Rs 7,000 but even that has hardly dented the demand. “We are also getting corporate orders for the Brazuca which are being handed out as gifts to clients or employees.”

Style it like Neymar

Parlours are being flooded by requests for Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar haircuts. “Ronaldo cuts are even more sought after right now than the Virat Kohli cut was during the IPL,” says senior hair stylist of City Centre’s A N John, Atanu Biswas.

At Jawed Habib senior hair stylist Goutam Saha says he’s given the Ronaldo cut to more than 25 boys this season. “His haircut has always been popular but there has been a sudden rise in demand since the World Cup started. Since school and office-goers cannot sport funky haircuts, it’s only college students who are opting for them.” And if you insist on a football connection, girls are asking for Victoria Beckham cuts, he says.

See it large

CD Block community hall will put up a giant screen for the quarter finals, semi-final and final games. “There was a screen installed in the park during the last World Cup but the rain had played havoc. So we’ll have it indoors this time,” said executive committee member of CD Block Citizens’ Council, Rajesh Paul.

They will be paying Rs 1,500 per day for the projector but given the number of requests for a big screen, it should be worth it. “Lots of viewers come from BD and other nearby blocks too,” adds Paul.

Monojit Ghosh, the cold drink stall owner and resident of Karunamoyee, says talks are on to put up a big screen for the final match at his housing complex.

Cops on the ball

A TV set has also been installed at Bidhannagar south police station for the law men to take a sneak peak at the games while on duty. “I am a Brazil fan so I am following every game thanks to this new TV set,” said Surajit Dey, officer-in-charge of the thana. “It breaks the monotony of our work.”

Another officer says that Brazil and Argentina fans in the thana often engage in friendly verbal duels. Incidents of theft are reported to have gone down since the World Cup began as residents are staying up to watch the games, they said.

Staying up late

The body clock has gone for a toss thanks to late night and wee morning matches. FE Block’s Nandita Ghosh, a doctor, got a call last week from a neighbour saying her husband, a senior citizen, was very sick. “My husband, who is also a doctor, rushed to their house to check on the man and returned slightly cross. When I asked what was wrong, he said the neighbour had fallen ill from watching the World Cup till 2.30am,” says Ghosh.

Many are skipping the late-night games. “At the age of 69, I cannot afford to stay awake beyond midnight. This means I’ve only managed to watch two games of my favourite team, Brazil. But from the quarter-final stage I shall try to risk my rest and watch more games,” says Shyama Prasad Roy Choudhury of Karunamoyee F Block.

 

Are you experiencing World Cup fever around you? Write to saltlake@abpmail.com or The Telegraph Salt Lake, 6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta 700001