BENGALURU : Quietly in the shadow of the Euro final, India’s first professional football coach passed away in Kolkata on Sunday. Amal Dutta was 86. A revered name in club football for tactical innovations, he is credited to have employed modern methods, before they became popular in the country.
A midfielder in his playing days, Dutta donned the India jersey at the 1954 Asian Games and played for East Bengal. His career was cut short by injuries when he was 29. Love for football saw him quit his Railways job and he travelled to England for an FA coaching course under Sir Walter Winterbottom, the first manager of the England team. Leaving job security and opting to become a football coach was unheard of in India those days.
Dutta returned as India’s first ever licensed coach. He was appointed by East Bengal in 1963, but the team failed to live up to expectations. A superior brand of football by Odisha in the Santosh Trophy brought him back to Kolkata, as Mohun Bagan coach. Before the arrival of internet in India, he used to keep track of international football out of own interest.
Eager to implement what he saw, Dutta was arguably the one to introduce in India the system which had side-backs moving up more frequently, with three central defenders. A variation of 3-5-2, it was a 3-2-3-2 formation that came to be known as 'diamond system'. Other than being reasonably effective, it regenerated interest in club football in the mid-nineties.
Former India captain IM Vijayan felt 3-5-2 was Dutta's contribution to Indian football. “His death comes to me as a shock. He was the one who pioneered the diamond system. These days, you see the Indian team and some of the clubs employ this formation that we played long ago. Players had a good bonding with him. His death is saddening,” the legendary striker told Express.
Although Dutta never won the National League as coach, the competition came into existence in the twilight of his career. With East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, he won almost everything else Indian football had to offer those days. Unlike most established coaches, he was not averse to working with weaker teams. He helped them punch above weight in the National League. Many under him went on to become stars in bigger teams.
“I started my career under Amal sir and flourished in his diamond formation. Even decades ago, he had profound knowledge of modern football. He was one of the best coaches India has produced, especially for junior players. In his death, India has lost a visionary coach,” said former India striker Dipendu Biswas.
Will Dutta be remembered as a coach who had a vision? Time will tell. But in his death, the fraternity has lost someone who was willing to work without thinking of recognition or rewards.