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Baretto was Mohun Bagan’s talisman in his second spell also
Kolkata derby legend
The key criteria to become a legend at Mohun Bagan or East Bengal is to perform in the big Kolkata derby and that’s what Barreto managed to do consistently for the green-and-maroon brigade in both the spells. Barreto like many iconic figures of this famous old rivalry, used to raise his game for every East Bengal clash as despite being a foreigner he had completely embraced the Kolkata football culture. Thus he played the derbies with plenty of passion and established himself as East Bengal’s nemesis.
No other Mohun Bagan player has scored more goals than Barreto against East Bengal with the Brazilian netting 17 in total. But it’s not just the goals that made Barreto special in the derbies, it was his sheer presence that inspired both fans and teammates. Above all he always kept his composure and rarely showed indiscipline despite the huge tension that surrounds an East Bengal- Mohun Bagan clash. Barreto is a true Kolkata derby legend and is respected by many East Bengal fans also.
Role model
In terms of statistics (more than 200 goals for Mohun Bagan), trophies, fan following, very few in Mohun Bagan’s illustrious history can match the Brazilian. With regards to all-time great foreigners in Indian football, Barreto will be up there with the very best and for many he is arguably numero uno in the combined history of the NFL and I-League. Barreto’s success has inspired many other players from his country to ply their trade in India and many like Beto, Luciano Sobrosa, Douglas Da Silva have had good careers.
Last year, Barreto’s farewell game for Mohun Bagan against Pune FC had an attendance of 35,000, a number unimaginable for the majority of I-League fixtures. It was an emotional day with the best moment being a trademark finish from the Brazilian to put Mohun Bagan in front. Such an occasion is unlikely to be repeated for the farewell of any other Indian player also in the near future. For a certain generation of footballers in India, Barreto has become a role model and he is eager to give something back to Indian football having already started an academy in Goa with compatriot Beto.
