{"id":297170,"date":"2025-05-04T06:22:21","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T06:22:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/04\/before-paris-fc-vs-psg-was-kolkata-with-the-worlds-closest-derby-the-times-of-india\/"},"modified":"2025-05-04T06:22:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T06:22:22","slug":"before-paris-fc-vs-psg-was-kolkata-with-the-worlds-closest-derby-the-times-of-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/04\/before-paris-fc-vs-psg-was-kolkata-with-the-worlds-closest-derby-the-times-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Before Paris FC vs PSG was Kolkata with the world’s closest derby – The Times of India"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kolkata: Mohun Bagan Super Giant\u0092s supporters hang \u0091tifo\u0092 during an Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 final football match between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Bengaluru FC, at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, in Kolkata, West Bengal. (PTI Photo\/Swapan Mahapatra)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The British colonizers wanted Kolkata to be the London of the east, but in spirit, the Bengalis have always preferred Paris.
From the musicality of the two languages to the celebration of avant-garde art, the cities do share a bond. When Satyajit Ray won the L\u00e9gion d’honneur \u2014 the highest French national order of merit \u2014 in 1987, the standard feeling in Kolkata was: \u201cWe\u2019ll always have Paris.\u201d
The cultural connect is on the wane. But now, there\u2019s a football parallel between the cities as Paris FC won their promotion into the top tier of French football \u2014 Ligue 1.
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Parc des Princes, home to Paris St-Germain, is merely 193m away from the new Paris FC ground, and the fans have already started calling it \u201cthe closest derby in the world.\u201d
But then, Kolkata isn\u2019t too far away. The East Bengal and Mohun Bagan<\/a> grounds, located in the Maidan area, are just 800m apart. But if you take a shortcut, it is merely a five-minute walk.
The two giants don\u2019t play the derby \u2014 when it involves senior men\u2019s football \u2014 at their own grounds anymore. They prefer the Salt Lake Stadium \u2014 a la San Siro in Milan \u2014 because of security issues. The fact that Salt Lake Stadium can accommodate up to one lakh fans makes it financially viable for the clubs as well.
But there was a time when the two teams played at each other\u2019s grounds. There was, of course, the \u2018neutral\u2019 Eden Gardens, designated venue of the \u2018big match\u2019, but cricket always took precedence there.
The famous 1975 IFA Shield final, where East Bengal beat Mohun Bagan 5-0 \u2014 the biggest margin recorded between the two teams till date \u2014 was played at the Bagan ground.
The hero of that afternoon, the late Subhas Bhowmick, would often recall how difficult it was to return to their home tent on that afternoon, with thousands of fans making it an occasion to remember.
Till the late 1980s, the two teams did play at each other\u2019s homes on and off, especially in the Calcutta Football League.
The hockey derby was played at East Bengal and Mohun Bagan grounds, but that\u2019s also a thing of the past.
Memories of the Maidan derby linger, and when PSG and Paris FC take the field for the \u201cclosest derby,\u201d the old Maidan regular will take a trip down memory lane \u2014 once upon a time, it was ours.<\/div>\n