Bengal football is facing many issues including a lack of proper infrastructure, planning, and vision from the governing body IFA. The IFA is riddled with factionalism and nepotism. Major clubs like ATK were able to join higher divisions directly after paying fees, rather than being promoted based on merit. Grassroots development and talent scouting programs that are crucial elsewhere are lacking. Politics and self-interest have replaced the interests of developing the sport. Changes are needed from fans, media, and clubs themselves to rebuild football at all levels in the state.

1. There are lotof theoriesonwhatisailingBengal football.Let’sgetsome factsonthe table today.All
overthe worldfootball orsoccer inparticularand sportsingeneral are an ingrainedpartof theirculture.
It was the same inthe case of Kolkata andBengal as well.Butinrecentyearseverythinghaswaned
apart fromthe enthusiasmforthe sport.Letus getto the bottomof some groundrealityandputsome
lightsonthe actual happenings.
Bengal hada propernurseryleague till recentlywhichhasgone defunctthisyear.Thoughlastyear
AthleticoDe Kolkatahadadoptedthe nurseryleague withmuchfan-fare fromthe IFA.Ithasno fixture,
no infrastructure,noplanningandnovision.IFA the governingbodyforfootballinBengal isriddledwith
factionismandnepotism.ATKandanotherclubbelongingtoone of the vice-presidentsof IFA got
inductedintothe thirddivisionof the Kolkataleague directlyafterpayingaround10-15 Lakhs for each
team.ATK nevergotpromotedtothe seconddivision.
AthleticoDe Kolkataaso calledprofessionalteamwithquite asoundfinancial backgroundhasno
properinfrastructure,traininggrounds,football schoolsall the yeardown.Theysimplyjustdonottake a
setformat seriouslyatthe moment.
The biggestbane forKolkataand Bengal football hasbeenitsadministrationrightfromthe BigThree to
the lowestteamsinthe lowestleagues.Mostof the clubteamsdo not have groundto practise,nobasic
infrastrusture exceptforatent at the famedKolkataMaidans.None of the so-calledofficialsare
interestedinthe well-beingof football atanylevel.Rampantage fraud,matchfixinghappensacrossthe
differenttiers.
Everyone aroundthe worldgrassrootdevelopment,nurturingof talentsare givenparamount
importance andthe biggestclubsandgovernmentsspendthe mostmoneyonscouting,nurturingyoung
talentsat a tenderage. The clubsare litteredwithbickeringandpoliticsandmostof the officialsdo
everythingtosurvive andsustainthemselvesontheir‘Chairof Power”,givingadamnabout the ground
realityandsituationof the state of football inthe “Mecca of Football”.
Bengal hasa lotof AFCand FIFA licensedcoachesbuttheyare nevergivenachance withanyof the
clubsas the football systemcurrentlyprevalentare afraidof anynew ideasor ground-breaking
innovationsinthe game assometimesitdotake time toengraina new philosophyorideainateam.
Footballersactlike mercenariesasmostof themaftertheirinitial strugglepreferjoininghandswiththe
officialstosurvive andearntheirbreadandbutteranywhichway possible.Canwe blame them?Iguess
not.Same goeswiththe refereesandothermatchofficials.
Talentedfootballerscome upeveryyearbutare thrownbythe wayside afteracouple of unconvincing
performancesandthese are notthe big clubsI am talkingaboutwiththeirsocalledfanpressure.
EstablishedMaidancoachesandofficialstake cutmoneyandotherfavorsfromthe playersinreturnof
gettingthema contract withanyof the clubsplyingtheirtrade inanytierof the Kolkataleagues.

2. Nurturingof football talentsworldwidestartsatthe tenderage of 6-8 withpropernutritionand
educationalongwithfootball.InIndiaingeneral andBengal inparticularparentsandstake holderstake
it as a past time nothingmore.
The positive side toall thisnegativityisthatthere are few parents,coaches,administratorswhowork
silentlyandtryingtheirbestwithoutanysupportfromanyone tobringup talent.We shouldgetall
these people more underthe spotlightratherthangivinguselespeople glorificationbyourhatredor
love.The focusshouldbe onbringingoutthe nextbigthingfromBengal and Indiaandsustainingthat
talentforthe longrun.
I believethe biggeststake-holderinanysportsare the supportersandfans.We shouldbe askingusthat
questionfirstare we doingenoughtosee Indiatobe a football super-power?Exceptbeingpiggybacks
on some small successesandtryingtoprove whoisthe betterandbiggersupporterdowe contribute in
any otherway?
Let’sget to the mediahousesandtheirhalf bakedstories.We inBengal have hundredsof regional news
and entertainmentchannelshowingall kindof nonsensespossible 24hoursa day butnot sportsand we
claimto be a sportslovingstate.Mediahasa huge role to playwhichtheyneverplaydue totheir
allegiance.
Grass-rootlevel programsare absolute zeroevenforthe bigthree MohunBagan,East Bengal and
MohameddanSportingastheyare busyplayingblame games,politicsandwhatnot.Basicallyeverything
apart fromfootball.
Academiesandfootball scholl made bythe BigThree of Kolkatafootball are eitherintattersorare a
non-starter.Eastbengal clubsacademywhichwasstartedwithhuge fan-fare sometime backhasstill
not beenable tostart due to lackof groundpermissionfromthe BidhannagarCorporation.Mohun
Bagan SAILacademyjust have theirname onthe billboardatthe momentnothingelse.The football
schoolsdoget conductedoneverySaturdayandSundayat the clubgroundsbut we have doubtabout
theireffectiveness.Thoughatone pointof time MBSA didproduce some greattalentsfromthe
academy.MohameddanSportingdon’tthinkstill hasanfull fledgedacademymaybeacouple of football
schoolswhichhardlyyieldresults.
Mind itnone of these are because of lackof fundsasmost of the topofficialsinthese clubsare worth
atleasta fewcroresand enjoyall kindof facilitiesandperksfrominternationalandnational football
organisationsandstate andcentral governments.IFA academyaswell isanon-starter,the state
governmentfootball academyinKhardahisalsoa non-starterthoughthe coachesin-charge of
operationsare gettingpaidtheirsalaryandquite aheftyamountas it isfor notdoingnothing.
Politics,unscrouplouselements,musclepowerineverythinghasleadtothis.Can youimagine invarious
academieskidscome alongwithrecommendationlettersfrompoliticians,governmentofficialsand
othertop officialstogetselected. ThiscanhappenonlyinIndia.Eveninsportswe have a quota system
and “Sifarish”systemandlet’sbe clearitishappeningformanyyearsnow and notstartedrecently.So

3. people heartrusttheirnetworkingmore thantheirtalent.The endresultisIndianNationalfootball
teamhas a worldrankingof 162 witha secondlargestpopulationinthe world.
We dohave a bignamesinvolvedinthiswhoare proijectedasthe so-calledMessiah’sof footballand
officialsof everyhue andcryare involved.Onlythe biggeststake-holderof sportscan change thisthat is
the fan themselvesbyhavingastrongand directsay.
Guys the questionandargumenthasbeenputforwardto youand to all the supportersnow.If football
isin dangerinthiscountry thenunfortunatelynone of yourfavourite clubswill existinsometime.