A family ritual going back three decades. A father-son first. Die-hard fans from across Bengal.
The Calcutta derby lived up to its legend on Sunday evening, as more than 80,000 fans turned Salt Lake Stadium into a sea of chants, colour, and emotion during the Durand Cup quarter-final between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Emami East Bengal.
The atmosphere was electric, the tension high — and in the end, East Bengal emerged victorious, defeating their arch-rivals 2-1, thanks to a brace from Greek striker Dimitrios Diamantakos, who came on as a substitute.
Debayan Ghosh, 53, a lifelong Mohun Bagan supporter, came from Moulali with his elder brother — a derby-day ritual they’ve followed for 30 years.
“We’ve been watching the derby in the stadium for three decades. The thrill of seeing a live match is irreplaceable,” said Ghosh, who works at a nationalised bank’s Strand Road office and is a club member.
Before kick-off, Ghosh was confident. “We have an added advantage today — we have a team that has been playing together for years now. My favourite is Sahal Abdul Samad. East Bengal, on the other hand, has many new faces,” he said.
In recent years, Mohun Bagan had largely dominated this storied rivalry — until Sunday.
The match unfolded amid broader uncertainty in Indian football. The future of the Indian Super League (ISL), the country’s top-tier tournament, is hanging in the balance. The Master Rights Agreement between the All India Football Federation and Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) — the ISL organisers — expires in December 2025. With no consensus on renewal, FSDL has put the 2025–26 season “on hold”. Some clubs have paused operations or suspended salaries.
At Salt Lake, fans voiced concern — and hope. “We hope this deadlock ends soon,” said Piyu Sikdar, 32, an East Bengal supporter from Madhyamgram who works at a private bank.
For Sikdar, derby day is also about bonding. “We are a group of 24 who come from different parts of Bengal to be here,” she said outside Gate 5.
For Asim Roy, 45, who came with his son Aryadeep, the absence of Basim Rashid — the Palestine-born US midfielder for the red and gold brigade, who lost his father on Friday — was a concern.
The business manager in medical engineering had brought his 21-year-old son — a student in Worcester, Massachusetts — to his first live derby. “I’ve been watching since childhood. The derby is emotion. Such high-voltage matches are thrilling. I have hardly missed one,” said Asim, a Kamal Gazi resident.
Aryadeep, used to watching from a screen in the US, was awed. “It’s a totally different experience. It’s unfortunate Basim Rashid isn’t playing, but we have faith in Hamid Ahadab and Miguel Ferrero,” he said.
Fans were pouring in by 5.30pm, well before the 7pm start. Mini trucks kept arriving, dropping off groups chanting club slogans, many with their faces painted in team colours.
Bikram Das, 23, came with his mother and 10-year-old brother. For them, Mohun Bagan is a way of life. “We came for Dimi Petratos and Liston Colaco. They are our goal machines,” said Das. The three have travelled to Jamshedpur and other cities to watch their favourite team play.
