The 135th edition of the Durand Cup will begin with Indian football’s biggest rivalry as East Bengal FC take on Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the Kolkata Derby at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan today. Kick-off is scheduled for 5:00 pm IST.
Tournament organisers have handed the opening fixture to the country’s most celebrated club rivalry, with both teams looking to make an early statement in Asia’s oldest football competition.
Mohun Bagan enter the competition as the most successful club in Durand Cup history with 17 titles, while East Bengal are close behind with 16 championships. Their meetings in the tournament have produced some of the competition’s most memorable moments, including 12 finals, with East Bengal winning six, Mohun Bagan four and two ending as shared titles.
The Mariners’ most recent Durand Cup triumph came in 2023 when they defeated East Bengal 1-0 in the final to lift their record-extending 17th title after a 23-year wait. However, East Bengal enjoyed the upper hand in last season’s competition, eliminating Mohun Bagan in the quarter-finals.
The Red and Gold Brigade head into the new campaign with confidence after ending their wait for the Indian Super League title last season. Midfielder Jeakson Singh Thounaojam believes the squad is ready to build on that success under new head coach Antonio Lopez Habas.
“We are getting together as a family, and at the end of last season we achieved our objective. I’m really looking forward to this new season, to achieve the same objective with more determination,” he said. “With the coach, and the trophies he has won, it will be a pleasure for me to play under him, for East Bengal. Obviously, for me, we are the favourite team.”
Mohun Bagan, meanwhile, begin a new era under Greek coach Panagiotis Dilmperis, who joined the club after an impressive spell with Punjab FC. The Mariners have also strengthened their squad with the arrival of Brazilian midfielder Miguel Figueira Damasceno and Serbian striker Dejan Drazic.
Ahead of his first competitive match in charge, Dilmperis welcomed the challenge of beginning his tenure with the biggest fixture in Indian football.
“Starting with a derby against East Bengal is something that makes me feel excited, because this is the reason why football exists,” he said. “Joining a club like Mohun Bagan, with this fan base, the owner, the history and huge expectations, creates for me not anxiety but big motivation.”
Damasceno’s switch to Mohun Bagan adds another subplot to the contest. The Brazilian was instrumental in East Bengal’s ISL title-winning campaign last season and claimed the league’s Golden Ball award before making the cross-city move.
New signing Drazic is also eager to experience the atmosphere of the Kolkata Derby for the first time.
“For every player, foreigner or Indian, it is amazing to play a game like a derby in Kolkata,” he said. “I was very surprised at the airport, this is the first time that has happened to me, and I am very grateful for that welcome. We are Mohun Bagan, and like everybody, we expect to win this game.”
Across the technical area, Habas begins his East Bengal tenure against the club he previously guided to the 2023-24 ISL League Shield. The veteran Spaniard insisted his focus remains firmly on the present despite facing his former employers.
“No nostalgia. We have to think about the present and the future, because the past is the past,” he said. “I absolutely respect my trajectory in India, with my players and the fans. But now it’s another job, another side, for professional life. I have to fight for my dream now.”
With history, recent success and fresh narratives converging, Saturday’s Kolkata Derby promises to provide a fitting start to the 135th Durand Cup. While it will not settle the long-standing rivalry between the two clubs, the result could set the tone for the remainder of the tournament.
