Guwahati: The Kolkata derby between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 will be played at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Assam’s Guwahati on January 11.
Scheduled in Kolkata on Saturday, the match had to be shifted because of inadequate security cover. This is the second time this season that a Mohun Bagan-East Bengal game could not be held at Salt Lake stadium because of the police.
The match, originally scheduled to take place at the Salt Lake Stadium, was relocated after the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate stated that hosting the game would be challenging.
With the match coinciding with Gangasagar Mela, which runs from January 10 to 18, police said they could not deploy enough personnel.
According to an official of a Kolkata football club, between 1100 to 1400 police personnel are required for the derby at Salt Lake Stadium.
There were discussions about rescheduling the game, but Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), the organization that manages the ISL, decided to adhere to the original date.
Mohun Bagan, according to a club official, considered Jamshedpur, Delhi and Guwahati as alternative venues. Because the ISL television crew would be in Guwahati when Northeast United host Punjab FC on Friday, it was convenient to hold the derby there the next day, an official said.
When Mohun Bagan played their last home match of 2024, against Kerala Blasters on December 14, there were unconfirmed reports that the derby would either be shifted or deferred.
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ISL’s league phase also has to end by March 12 to give the national team adequate time to prepare for the March 25 Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh at home.
ISL toppers and league shield winners Mohun Bagan won the first leg of the Kolkata derby 2-0 in October. East Bengal are 11th in the standings.
