I-League: Are Goan players finally ready to settle at Kolkata clubs?

Dempo legend Anthony Pereira has joined Mohun Bagan

The Bengal-Goa rivalry has been the most intense regional battle in the history of Indian football. Before the national domestic league started, the two states would battle it out regularly in the Santosh Trophy while clubs from the two regions also faced each other in various cup competitions like the Rovers Cup and Federation Cup.

In the past, Bengal were the dominant force and even in the early years of the National Football League (NFL), clubs from Kolkata were more successful than their Goan counterparts. But things have changed drastically since 2004, with no Kolkata team winning the national league ever since while Goan clubs have won the top flight eight times in the last nine seasons.

With Santosh Trophy becoming a complete sideshow, this regional battle now is entirely limited between the clubs. A big part of the rivalry between Kolkata and Goan clubs over the years has been about retaining players from their own region.

There are very few examples of a Bengali player doing well in Goa over a long period of time and vice-versa. In truth, besides goalkeepers Abhijit Mondal (Dempo) and Arindam Bhattacharya (Churchill Brothers) and current Dempo duo Debabrata Roy and Subhasish Roywchowdhury, no player from Bengal has had a long and successful spell in Goa.

At the other side of the equation, Alvito D’Cunha is the only notable exception among Goans to have had a successful career in Kolkata. The left-footed attacking midfielder arrived at East Bengal in 2002, having already won the NFL title with Salgaocar, and 11 years on has established himself as a legend at the Kolkata club.

Alvito (seating in between) is the only Goan to have had a long successful career in Kolkata

Alvito has won two league titles, four Federation Cup trophies and the ASEAN Cup with East Bengal but he mainly became a fan favourite as he stood by the club in the tough times also.

But besides him you would struggle to find even one Goan name in the NFL/I-League era who has been consistent in Kolkata over a sustained period. Former India captains and Dempo legends Mahesh Gawli and Climax Lawrence did win the league with East Bengal but both didn’t stay in Kolkata for much long.