Dear Dimitri to stay with Mohun Bagan

A news item has gone on air from Mohun Bagan club of Pal Sarani, which has put the green and maroon fans in jubilation mood. The pet Australian footballer Dimitri Petratos is back to play for them. The club officials have placed the signatures on agreements for the upcoming season with not only Petratos, but Tom Aldred and others from the foreign brigade of the previous season.

Dimitri Petratos who wins the hearts of football fans with his look the moment he arrives on the pitch. As his flawless Stengun celebration at every score entrances the pitch, he also stirs the hearts of Mohun Bagan fans all over again. He has always been the darling of the green and maroon masses on the banks of the Ganges. His target, runs or assists on the field—anything and everything has turned 'trust' for Mohun Bagan fans. Even if Petratos did not get a regular chance in the first eleven last season, whenever he got a chance, he made an impact on the turf. 

At times as a forward, at times in midfield, and sometimes as a cross from the wing—in all cases, he is like the 'secret weapon' of the team. Whether it was the former Mohun Bagan coach Antonio Lopez Habas or the current one, Manolo Molina—both of them have used Dimitri optimally. Especially in big matches when the team has to be saved under pressure, Petratos has come at the opportune time, and has saved Mohun Bagan at the opportune time. His arrival in the current season is big news without any doubt.

Especially when the rivalry is so strong and the team lineups also stronger, having an old, tried-and-tested foreign striker by your side is a relief for any club. Club insiders leaked that the desire to retain Petratos was no longer there. Coach Molina did not wish to lose him as well. They were however interested in ensuring that the whole overseas squad remains as it is so that the team's equilibrium is not lost. The Mohun Bagan management has also gone in that direction.

Other than Petratos, green-maroon regime has addressed Tom Alldred, Carl McHugh, Hugo Boumous and re-signed all three. If the team must sustain the last season's rate in a competitive league like the ISL, then it was very important to retain this foreign core intact. And that is what the club has understood and done successfully well before time without keeping anything at risk. Mohun Bagan this season is most likely to be on the field like a horse. Dimitri Petratos is at the centre of this expectation. He will be the foundation upon which the attack game is constructed. Young Indian stars such as Manvir Singh, Sahal, Ashish Rai, who had made a breakthrough last season, will play alongside him.

Petratos' presence is not just about goals, it also translates to proper behavior on the ground, encouragement by teammates, experience and that winning attitude for the game, which becomes the prime driving force in a club's trophy hunt. As the Indian youth have found brotherhood with him, the fan love on and off the ground around him is also increasing day by day.

The objective of Mohun Bagan this year is quite simple - trophies. Whether the Champions League or the ISL, or the Super Cup - they want the best out of all these. And for that reason, having a known and reliable warrior like Petratos on the side means staying ahead of the pack. As much as his game draws fans on the pitch, it also becomes a lesson for the young players.

The fans have also appreciated this surprising move by the club authorities. They feel, "This news is like the best gift at the beginning of the new season. Dimi stays in our hearts, the Bagan team is not complete without him." It is a reflection of how a foreign player has become a part of Kolkata in the decades gone by.

Dimitri Petratos himself is happy to have made the choice to stay back at Mohun Bagan. His love for the club, respect for the fans and sincere desire to become part of the Kolkata culture have turned him into a Bagan fan. As much a professional on the field as he is, he is also a very simple, humble person off it. And that perhaps is why he has become a 'home boy'.

Mohun Bagan fans have started dreaming anew now. They hope the drought of that very coveted trophy to be over this time, for the green-maroon flag to fly high once more. Petratos is one of the horses of such a dream. His Stengun dance will be watched umpteenth times in Yuva Bharati, thousands will shout, "Let's go to the garden!"

This feeling, this expectation, this fervor is Bengali football. Where a foreigner becomes almost a homebody, part of the family. And there are many who are sure that the decision to retain the boy from that house is Mohun Bagan's initial target of the new season.