Us vs them
Like in Madrid, Merseyside and Manchester, Kolkata’s football scene has long centred on fierce local derbies. The rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal attracts crowds exceeding 50,000, making it the focal point of the city’s football discourse.
“Football enthusiasm extends throughout India, with strong followings in Goa, Kerala, Sikkim and Manipur,” said Kolkata‑based analyst Debanjan Banerjee.
However, the enduring clash between the city’s two premier clubs has fostered a deeper intellectual engagement with the sport that sets Kolkata apart from the rest of the country. Football is a topic of serious, year‑round conversation, and it serves as a bond that spans generations. Even young fans—aged ten—grow up following either East Bengal or Mohun Bagan.
Banerjee noted that if either Mohun Bagan or East Bengal had existed in isolation, they would not have achieved their current prominence. The sport in Kolkata influences fans’ thinking in domains beyond the pitch.
“It influences how they see politics, art and even history,” he added.
Uncommonly for a Kolkata supporter, Banerjee views himself as a scholar of fan culture—its tribal dynamics, irrational passionरण, instant love for the underdog—and not primarily as a football enthusiast. He even produced a video essay on the Mohun Bagan–East Bengal rivalry for COPA90, a popular YouTube channel covering football fan culture.
Last December, Messi’s long‑anticipated visit to India culminated in a chaotic episode in Kolkata, where his premature departure inc kalaall:%%%%%]%> এবং>