New Delhi: Mohun Bagan announced on Wednesday that they would host the much-anticipated return leg of the Indian Super League match against East Bengal in Guwahati after inadequate security arrangements forced the Kolkata Derby to be moved to a new venue.
The match had to be shifted after the West Bengal government informed Bagan of their inability to provide necessary police personnel if the match went ahead as per schedule at the Salt Lake Stadium on January 11.
The Bengal state government had cited the Gangasagar Mela, to be held from January 10 to 18, as reason behind the shortage of police personnel required to provide security to 65,000 spectators that was expected to come at the stadium for Indian football’s biggest club game.
As the ISL organisers Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) were not keen to reschedule the date of the match, Bagan looked for alternative venues, including Bhubaneswar, Jamshedpur and Delhi, before settling for the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati.
“Saturday blockbuster ‘Boro Match’ will now be played at Guwahati. See you, Mariners,” Mohun Bagan wrote on their official X account.
Derby shifted for the second time this year
It is the second time in the ongoing 2024-25 season that the high-octane clash had to be moved out of Kolkata for security reasons.
The two teams were supposed to play in Kolkata on August 18 in the group stages of the Durand Cup but massive protests over RG Kar rape case forced abandonment of the game.
Both teams were awarded a point each, allowing passage to the semi-finals for both.
Defending ISL Shield champions Bagan are leading the ISL standings with 32 points from 14 games, leading the 11th placed East Bengal by 18 points. They had won the first leg 2-0 riding on goals from Jamie Maclaren and Dimitri Petratos.
Bagan approach the game having won eight of their last 10 matches, including a 3-0 victory over Hyderabad FC in their previous encounter while East Bengal lost 2-3 to Mumbai City.
The match had to be shifted after the West Bengal government informed Bagan of their inability to provide necessary police personnel if the match went ahead as per schedule at the Salt Lake Stadium on January 11. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
