CHENNAI/KOLKATA: If Arsene Wenger thought he had it tough with all those Wenger out banners, he should have a chat with Trevor Morgan. At least, nobody’s spitting at his car!
Few things in Indian football have been more written about than Kolkata’s passion for football. But as East Bengal’s coach Trevor Morgan and his goalkeeper TP Rehenesh found out, there’s a thin line between passion and madness.
East Bengal’s collapse this season has been nothing short of spectacular. They were favourites for the title at one point before suffering four straight defeats, the latest against DSK Shivajians on Sunday mathematically ending their title hopes. And their implosion has seen fans turn on the coach and his players. Last Sunday, the derby defeat against Mohun Bagan was the last straw for many.
What has irked the fans, even more, is that their decline has seen arch-rivals Mohun Bagan ascend to pole position in the race for the title. Bagan can win the league next week with a win over Aizawl FC and a draw will see them head into the final week needing to just match Aizawl’s result.
What followed that loss was nothing short of ridiculous. Fans turned up at the team’s practice session and spewed vitriol at the players. Morgan’s car was spat at and Robin Singh’s car was damaged. But the man in the eye of the storm was goalkeeper TP Rehenesh, who had come in for some special treatment from the fans. According to reports from Kolkata, Rehenesh allegedly responded with an obscene gesture. That enraged fans further and Rehenesh was consequently dropped against DSK. “We are upset with the gesture,” said Mrinmaya, a die-hard East Bengal fan since 1997.
“We are not only upset about this incident but also the fact that we have seen players behaving very casually even in defeat. There was a time when players were so committed to the game,” Mrinmaya, who works as a Mechanical Engineer in Raipur, told Express.
“Even though Mohan Bagan, do not have sponsors they have displayed such determination on the field. I don’t see the same in our team,” he said.
While airing their frustration with the team, fans were also quick to condemn the incident where a fan spat at Morgan’s car. “We have not been able to talk to him,” Mrinmaya said. “Whatever he did was not right.”
Rehenesh though was quick to downplay the incident. “It was a small incident that was blown up by the media,” he said. “Me being dropped had nothing to do with this. I’ve played all games this season and we have four keepers. They also need a chance. I’m really sad that we’re out of the title picture, but I’ll do everything to make sure we end the season on a high.”
sports@newindianexpress.com
Results: East Bengal 0-1 DSK Shivajians; Mumbai FC 0-0 Chennai City.