{"id":37260,"date":"2019-08-13T09:46:55","date_gmt":"2019-08-13T16:46:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.persianfootball.com\/news\/?p=37260"},"modified":"2019-08-13T09:46:55","modified_gmt":"2019-08-13T16:46:55","slug":"the-prince-of-persia-returns-majid-bishkar-comes-back-to-rekindle-maidan-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.persianfootball.com\/news\/2019\/08\/13\/the-prince-of-persia-returns-majid-bishkar-comes-back-to-rekindle-maidan-memories\/","title":{"rendered":"The Prince of Persia returns: Majid Bishkar comes back to rekindle maidan memories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Indian Express – KOLKATA, Calcutta was rechristened as Kolkata. Football took a backseat in the city after the arrival of Sourav Ganguly. But Majid somehow retained his charm.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Majid Bishkar was a little perplexed. Close to 200 East Bengal fans were waiting for him at the Kolkata airport arrival lounge when he touched down on Sunday. A little over 24 hours later, when the former Iranian footballer came to the East Bengal tent to be part of the club\u2019s ongoing centenary celebrations, a gathering of 150 supporters greeted him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was thinking on the flight who would come to receive me at the airport, may be one or two officials. But I was astonished to see so many East Bengal supporters,\u201d Majid mused. His skills on the football field had left such an indelible mark on the minds of the lovers of the Beautiful Game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 63-year-old looked fit. The red-and-gold shirt he was wearing sat nicely on him. It had to be, because it was the attire in which Majid made magic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always recollect the nice time I had here. I still remember the goal I scored in the Rovers Cup final against Mohammedan Sporting. But (back in Iran) I didn\u2019t have that much connection of getting news (from India),\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Majid relived the horror of August 16, 1980, when 16 football fans died in a riot and stampede at Eden Gardens during a Mohun Bagan-East Bengal game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOn the field, I concentrated only on my performance. After I returned home, a supporter told me about the tragedy. I was shocked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But football is only one aspect of the fascinating story of Majid\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirty-two years ago, when he left Kolkata, Majid was a wreck. He was bankrupt. Depression had set in. At the peak of his career, he had got into a relationship with a former India women\u2019s basketball player, which ended in heartbreak. Majid hit the bottle and took to drugs. Indiscipline brought his premature football demise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of water has flown under the Howrah Bridge since. Calcutta was rechristened as Kolkata. Football took a backseat in the city after the arrival of\u00a0Sourav Ganguly. But Majid somehow retained his charm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The former attacking midfielder \u2013 a forward in a 4-2-4 formation \u2013 had a chequered career. From 1980 to 1982, when he was playing for East Bengal before moving to Mohammedan Sporting, he was the \u2018prince charming\u2019 of the Kolkata maidan. Then, he faded away. Foreigners like Chima Okorie and Jose Ramirez Barreto had far better and more consistent careers. Majid, though, cast a spell even on aficionados outside football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s because the football Majid played\u2026 Those who watched him play will never forget his wizardry with the ball. He was in the Iranian squad for the 1978 World Cup. And when he came here, Majid became our tenuous link to world-class football. He remains the best foreign footballer ever to ply his trade in India; an absolute match-winner,\u201d former India Davis Cup captain and coach Jaidip Mukerjea told\u00a0The Indian Express.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1980, star players had left East Bengal en masse. The depleted side still went on to win the Federation Cup and Majid was the reason. \u201cHe was probably the first proper No. 10 in Indian football. We used to play in a 4-2-4 formation then. But Majid operated from deep, tweaking it to 4-3-3 and presenting a stiffer challenge to goalkeepers. He was a playmaker who could score as well. But on most occasions, he fed his friend and compatriot Jamshid Nassiri, a centre-forward, to deadly effect,\u201d former India goalie Bhaskar Ganguly recounted, adding: \u201cHis receiving and first touch was world-class. That did half the job for him. Off the field, he was soft-spoken and down to earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ganguly lamented Majid\u2019s rapid decline. \u201cMaybe, he missed a mentor here, someone who could have helped him retain his focus on football.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Majid versus Subrata Bhattacharya was the rivalry of the early 1980s. The former Mohun Bagan centre-half was one defender whom the Iranian artist found a little difficult to crack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMajid\u2019s football was cerebral and you had to use your football intelligence to counter him. The approach against the likes of Chima and Emeka Ezeugo was different. Against Majid, you could hardly afford to give him space. Going for the final tackle early was never an option against him. Rather, it was about taking him to a position where his options became limited. Of course, he was one of the finest overseas footballers we had in Indian football,\u201d Bhattacharya told this paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After going back to Iran, Majid gradually returned to the mainstream. He took up some coaching assignments. \u201cI started training kids there. Then got involved with some retired footballers who used to make teams and play here and there regularly,\u201d he said on Monday, affirming his support to Indian football. \u201cClubs can contact if they wish to have quality players (from Iran) through me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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