Vasco (Goa): Amid a pall of gloom following Diego Maradona's death, biggies ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal will resume their age-old rivalry on the grander stage of Indian Super League, but without their legions of roaring fans here on Friday.
The build-up to the much-anticipated clash had witnessed a lot of drama with East Bengal making a last-gasp entry into the ISL. Matches are played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mood, though, has been dampened by the Argentine icon's death.
Both the legacy clubs dearly love Maradona, and so does their base, Kolkata.
ATK Mohun Bagan started off from where they had left in their respective tournaments last season, getting off to a winning start against Kerala Blasters FC.
All eyes are now on their bitter foes, SC East Bengal, with a new-look side and a coaching staff headed by English and Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler.
Fowler's playing record is glorified with memorable derby moments.
From scoring the winner in his very first Merseyside derby (Liverpool vs Everton), finding the net multiple times in the Manchester derby while playing for Manchester City, and even managed to create a goal in the Pennines derby — Manchester United versus Leeds United.
And now he gets to experience a fixture that is as old and as intense as any of the others he has experienced so far in the world.
Antonio Lopez Habas may have been the most successful ISL coach but the red and gold fans would know that there are few people more equipped to handle the heat of a derby than Fowler.
"The derbies are huge games. They mean a lot to the fans and of course, they mean a lot to the players. But the important thing is you got to go into them and try to use your head. You got to try and be sensible.
"In these types of games, the players can't get carried away. You will dive into tackles, you will get too enthusiastic. So in this case, let's try and play sensibly," said Fowler of his derby mantra.
Being the last team to join ISL, Fowler got less than a month to build his team and it remains to be seen how they make up for the lost time and combine on the pitch against a well-set ATKMB.