When the 2022-23 Indian Super League (ISL) ended last month, four of the 11 teams had Spanish coaches, four were in English hands and the two countries met in the title decider. Spain triumphed, but more importantly so did ATK Mohun Bagan and Juan Ferrando who, at 42, has brought the title to one of the world’s oldest football cities. Kolkata has clubs that go back to the 19th century, derbies that can attract more than 100,000 and is the spiritual home of the game in India.
“It is not just a sport, football in Kolkata is part of the family culture, the colours, the feeling,” Ferrando says. “It is something generational and passed from parents to their children over the years. One can’t understand life without it and one must experience it to understand.”
