Courtesy: Google
The highly anticipated Indian Super League (ISL) clash between Mohun Bagan Super Giant versus East Bengal is likely to be shifted from the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata to Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on Saturday, January 11. The decision is expected to be confirmed soon since the Bidhannagar Police Commission had mentioned that they won’t be able to provide adequate security at the venue for the Kolkata derby this weekend.
Notably, the Gangasagar Mela is scheduled to take place in the Indian state of West Bengal from January 10 to 18, and these dates coincide with the upcoming match between Mohun Bagan Super Giants and East Bengal in Kolkata. It has led to the doubts emerging about whether the Kolkata derby will take place on Saturday, January 11, but the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), who run the ISL, wants it to happen on the same date.
Kolkata derby was not played last year due to lack of adequate security
As per the report from Sportstar, Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar was considered as a venue for the Kolkata derby, but the preference went to the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati in a meeting earlier today. While both Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal are yet to be informed about the new venue of their upcoming Kolkata derby, it is expected to be confirmed to them first and foremost before everyone else.
In his statement on the matter, Debabrata Sarkar, the club official of East Bengal remarked that Mohun Bagan Super Giant might get the details about the new venue of their ISL fixture due to being the hosts of it. He was quoted as saying, “For now, we have not got any concrete information about the change. But since it is their (Mohun Bagan’s) home game, I think they will get the information first.”
It was just last year on August 18 when the Kolkata derby in the Durand Cup group stage was not played due to lack of adequate security.
