Indian football: Why Mohun Bagan asked its fans to boycott upcoming Kolkata der against East Bengal | Football News

The hotly anticipated Kolkata der between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan Super Giant took a controversial turn on Thursday when the Green and Maroon club asked its fans to boycott the return leg Indian Super League match due disparity in ticket pricing.
What is the ticket price controversy?
The Green and Maroon brigade called for a boycott due to the fact that some Mohun Bagan stands cost more than double the price of East Bengal who are the hosts of the match. The prices range from Rs 100 to Rs 1000 for East Bengal stands, while in case of Mohun Bagan it varies from Rs 250 to Rs 3000.
What does Mohun Bagan have to say?
“It is unprecedented anywhere in the world that away team fans will have to buy match tickets at a price which is almost double than that of the home team fans… This is shameful,” Mohun Bagan said in a statement.

Press Release.#MohunBagan #Mariners #MBAC #MohunBaganAthleticClub #JoyMohunBagan #PressRelease pic.twitter.com/FioN2Lmnda
— Mohun Bagan (@Mohun_Bagan) March 7, 2024
“We unequivocally condemn the unsportsmanlike behaviour of East Bengal and have decided that we will neither buy nor sell any tickets of the der match of ISL between Mohun Bagan Super Giant and East Bengal Club. This communication may be treated as an official boycott call of the upcoming der from our side,” the release added.
What is East Bengal’s response?
Meanwhile, East Bengal executive committee member Debabrata Sarkar termed the situation “sad” and said in future they would ensure it does not happen.

“The ticket pricings are done Emami (principal owners)… It is a sad situation and hope that it’s not happened in future. I’ve spoken to the sports miner but as of now nothing can be done,” Sarkar said as quoted PTI.
What happened when the last two sides met in the der?
The last time these two sides met in a der was on 3rd February when both the clubs came away with a point after the match was tied.
Why was the match rescheduled from 7.30 PM to 8.30 PM?
The match was earlier scheduled at 7.30pm but now has been rescheduled to 8.30pm because of the Trinamool Congress Brigade Rally in the day.
What are both clubs’ position in the ISL  table?
Mohun Bagan are 3rd in the table with 33 points from 16 matches while East Bengal are languishing at the 10th position after getting 18 points from 18 matches