Krishanu Dey (1962 – 20 March 2003) was an Indian football

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

 player from Kolkata

Kolkata

Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...

, India. He was an attacking midfielder and was known as the "Indian Maradona" among his fans due to his footballing skills and playing style.¹

Club career

Krishanu began his professional career in the Kolkata League with the Calcutta Police Team in 1979 and shifted to Calcutta Port Trust Team in 1980. After spending a couple of seasons there, he joined Mohun Bagan in 1982. He played for Mohun Bagan till 1984 and then joined their arch-rival East Bengal Club

East Bengal Club

Kingfisher East Bengal Football Club are an Indian professional football club based at Kolkata. They are known to be one of the best footballing sides in India. They have won the most IFA Shields in Indian Football and are tied for the most National Football League and Durand Cup championships with...

 in 1985. He played for East Bengal continuously for a period of 7 years before returning to Mohun Bagan in 1992. Krishanu again returned to East Bengal in 1994 for a season before joining his employer Food Corporation of India's football team in 1995. He played for them till his retirement in 1997. He also coached Food Corporation of India and Kalighat Club after retirement.^{2 3} He was one of the highest paid Indian footballers of eighties and along with his close friend and fellow midfielder Bikash Panji

Bikash Panji

Bikash Panji is an Indian football Midfielder who played for India in the 1984 Asian Cup. He also played for Mohun Bagan and East Bengal Club.-References:**...

 formed a lethal combination on the field.⁴

International career

Krishanu represented India in 10 list 'A' matches and scored 7 goals⁵ including a hattrick in Merdeka Tournament in Malayasia, 1986.⁶ He took part in Asian Games (1986), Merdeka Cup, Pre-Olympics, SAFF Games and Asian Cup as a member of the Indian team. He was the captain of the Indian team in 1992 Asian Cup.⁷

Personal life

He died on 20 March 2003 following a pulmonary disorder and multi-organ failure in a Kolkata hospital. He is survived by his wife and a son.⁸ The Indian Football Association has named their under-19 football league in his memory.⁹

External links

• Article on Krishanu Dey