A death that reopens old wounds

The club’s recent trophies are all on display. A portrait of Cristiano Junior stands alongside them. Throughout the day, East Bengal&#1...

The club’s recent trophies are all on display. A portrait of Cristiano Junior stands alongside them. Throughout the day, East Bengal’s young players and old supporters come to pray for the man who, till recently, played for the club before moving on to Goa’s Dempo AC.

Some eyes are filled with tears. Others blaze in anger, demanding action against Mohun Bagan keeper Subrata Paul. Not very far away, at Mohun Bagan’s headquarters, the contrast is stark. There is sorrow at Junior’s death. There is also a touchiness at the insinuations about Paul. Bagan are protective about their young goalkeeper.

Although Junior no longer played for East Bengal, the club has reclaimed him in his death. Its flag flies at half-mast and it has sent a cheque of Rs 1 lakh to the Brazilian’s wife. In this sorrow, all its old resentments against traditional rival Bagan have revived as its supporters search for a villain to blame.

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Paul has been singled out for that role, though it is nobody’s case that he intended to cause such hurt.

Aware that their young goalkeeper, nicknamed Mishtu (his uncle sells sweets) might come in for needless attention as he returns to Kolkata, Bagan officials are making plans to shield him.

The ’keeper, himself, is said to be shattered and his father Pranballav Paul said that he wanted him to give up football for good. His mother Laxmi Paul was quoted as saying: “I consider Junior a son, just like Subrata.”

Aware that emotions can spill over, a senior Mohun Bagan office-bearer said that Paul may be whisked away to an official’s house until the storm died down.

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Mohun Bagan’s general secretary Anjan Mitra said: “To us it looked like accidental,and not intentional.”

Whatever the facts of the case, many of East Bengal’s supporters are in no mood to be so charitable. This feeling is being stoked by some of the biggest names in soccer.

In the midst of the hysteria, some Bengal officials preferred to focus on Junior’s grace and dignity. The club had got the striker for Rs 13 lakh a season but Dempo made him a bigger offer. “We still wanted him but like a gentleman he declined to negotiate further with us as he had already acepted the Dempo offer,” said East Bengal official Swapan Bal. “We were certain that we would get him back. Unfortunately, he did not give us that chance.”