EAST BENGAL HAVE strongly condemned the violence their fans faced after the Durand Cup final against Mohun Bagan.
The Red & Golds lost to the Mariners 1-0, and after the match fans of the two arch rival clubs clashed at multiple places in the streets of Kolkata.
Several incidents where EB fans were injured from stones and sticks came to the fore, and rumours flew wildly further stoking the tension between the two clubs.
The club officials, in a statement, said that they stood against violence at football matches, revealing that they had raised the matter with the police and state authorities several times but no adequate measure was taken to control the situation. They also spoke out against "unspeakable language" being used to abuse their female fans.
East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, whose rivalry goes back 102 years, have seen their fans clash with each other often, which sometimes took the form of mob violence and vandalism. Recently, East Bengal fans threw stones at NorthEast United fans and subjected them to racist and sexist verbal abuse. During the group stage, EB fans were seen surrounding the Mohun Bagan team bus and abusing the players using vulgar language towards their family members.
Fans from both clubs who oppose violence have long called for increased police presence at bus stops, intersections and partisan hotspots in the city to prevent such incidents. However, their requests have not been acted upon by the authorities and incidents of violence continue unimpeded.