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ATK Mohun Bagan’s (ATKMB) blue-eyed boy Prabir Das recently signed a three-year deal with Bengaluru FC (BFC) following the expiration of his previous contract with the Green and Maroon brigade on May 31.
After spending seven eventful years at Mohun Bagan (in the pre and post-merger eras combined), Prabir is now ready for a fresh challenge and is raring to play under India and BFC captain Sunil Chhetri’s leadership.
A speedy operator down the right wing, Prabir began his playing career as a midfielder before transitioning into the side-back and wing-back positions. Prabir’s lethal crosses make him a valuable asset for any side and his formidable attacking partnership with former ATK and ATKMB goal machine Roy Krishna was a sight to behold.
Hailing from West Bengal’s Sodepur, Prabir made his foray into professional football with Indian Arrows (then Pailan Arrows) in 2012 before representing Dempo SC, FC Goa and the now-defunct Delhi Dynamos over the next three years. The 28-year-old, however, was perturbed by the lack of game time at both FC Goa and Delhi Dynamos before Sanjoy Sen’s Mohun Bagan snapped him up in 2015.
Prabir’s major achievements in club football so far have come while playing for ATK and Mohun Bagan. He was a vital member of the ATK squads that clinched the ISL title in 2016 and 2020, and also played a key role in Mohun Bagan’s Federation Cup triumph in 2016.
A livewire on and off the pitch, Prabir wears his heart on his sleeve and enjoys massive popularity as a lifestyle vlogger. It was perhaps due to his incredible zest for life that he was able to brave a career-threatening knee injury in 2018 and returned to action in the 2019-20 ISL, where he made the cut for the Fans’ Team of the Season.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Prabir explained the reason behind joining Bengaluru FC and revealed if there was any rift between him and the ATKMB management. He also shared his thoughts about the Bagan fans’ ‘Remove ATK’ campaign, the possibility of joining East Bengal in the near future and his chances of making a comeback for India. Here are the excerpts:
Q: After spending seven years in the Green and Maroon camp, what prompted you to look for a new club?
Prabir: As a footballer, some things are not in our hands. All I can say is that the situation forced me to make the decision. I’ll love and respect every Mohun Bagan fan till my last breath. I am grateful to them for making me what I am today. Bengaluru FC is one of the most professional clubs in the country and I’m chuffed to join them. It’s a new club and a fresh challenge for me.
Q: In a recent interview, you vented your dissatisfaction with the ATK Mohun Bagan management. Do you still harbour any hard feelings towards them?
Prabir: I owe my fame to Mohun Bagan, so I can never have any hard feelings towards the club and the fans. Initially, I did speak against ATKMB's management, but now everything is alright.
Q: Do you think you deserved a better farewell from the ATKMB management?
Prabir: It’s up to them to decide how they want to bid farewell to a player. I have given my blood, sweat and tears to Mohun Bagan. The fans are so emotional that they motivate you to deliver your best every time you put on the Green and Maroon shirt. I always call a spade a spade. I think some people don’t like this in-your-face attitude of mine (laughs).
Q: You had a stellar campaign in the 2019-20 ISL and even made it to the Fans’ Team of the Season. Yet, you got limited playing time over the next two seasons until Juan Ferrando took charge of ATKMB earlier this year. How frustrating was the phase?
Prabir: I contracted COVID-19 last year, which hindered my training. Perhaps the coach [Antonio Lopez Habas] found someone better than me. After recovering, I trained extra hard to regain my form, but things just didn’t click for me. I have been very serious in practice sessions though and hope to get more playing time this season.
Q: Did you ask Habas why you weren’t getting enough playing time?
Prabir: No, I never asked him anything. He did what he felt was best for the team. Without me starting regularly, we reached the final in the 2020-21 season. A team’s success never depends on an individual.
Q: Ferrando gave you more playing time. What was the experience of playing under him?
Prabir: He shares a good rapport with every player. Seeing my hardwork, maybe he felt that he needed me in the playing XI. I think I’ve utilized the chances pretty well. I don’t want to compare Juan to Habas sir. Both are tactically astute and think about the sport all the time. Habas sir is the most successful coach in ISL history, while Juan has done quite well over the past two seasons.
Q: Will you be keen on a return to Kolkata if you get a bumper deal from East Bengal in the near future?
Prabir: Right now I have a three-year contract with Bengaluru FC, so I don’t want to think about any other club. I love the Mohun Bagan fans, so I won’t do anything that can hurt their sentiments.
Q: Tell me honestly, Prabir. When the Mohun Bagan fans protest against the merger and raise the ‘Remove ATK’ slogan, don’t you feel sorry for them?
Prabir: The fans tag me on social media, but as professionals, we can’t respond to everything. I told them to keep fighting for the club off the field while we played for the club on the field.
Q: How did you, Pritam Kotal and Pronay Halder react when ATKMB’s black third kit irked the Mohun Bagan fans as it resembled the erstwhile ATK’s away kit?
Prabir: In West Bengal, the fans are very emotional about Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan. I think it was a mistake, which was later resolved. We didn’t stick our noses into the management’s activities as we were busy playing.
Q: Speculation is rife that the prefix ATK may be dropped from ATK Mohun Bagan this year. What’s your take on this?
Prabir: If that happens, the fans will be very happy. That said, there can be several clauses in the agreement [between ATK and Mohun Bagan] that we may not be aware of. It won’t be right to comment on the issue without knowing the details. Hopefully, the fans will not remain upset in the long run and everything will be sorted out soon.
Q: You’ll play alongside Sunil Chhetri at Bengaluru FC. Has he spoken to you lately?
Prabir: No, I haven’t talked to Chhetri bhai yet. I’m looking forward to supplying him with crosses. Every footballer in India dreams of playing with Chhetri bhai and I’m happy that my dream will finally come true.
I’m also excited to share the dressing room with Gurpreet [Singh Sandhu] bhai, Udanta [Singh], Roshan [Singh], and my old buddies Javi [Hernandez] and Jayesh Rane. Our new coach Simon Grayson, too, is vastly experienced and I can’t wait to play under him.
Q: How desperate are you to make a comeback into the national team before next year’s AFC Asian Cup?
Prabir: I want to live in the present and not look too far ahead. I’ll take one match at a time. My goal for now is to give my hundred percent to Bengaluru FC and help them win trophies. I don’t need to do anything extra to earn an Indian call-up. The upcoming season will be very crucial for me. If I can do well, I’m sure the coach [Igor Stimac] will name me for the national team camp.
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