Amal Dutta

Amal Dutta (; 4 May 1930 – 10 July 2016) was a former Indian footballer, coach and football manager. Born in Calcutta, then Bengal Presidency, he is considered as the first professional football coach in the country. A finest thinker of the sport, Dutta had a rivalry with Pradip Kumar Banerjee during his coaching days in Kolkata club football.

Known for introducing the "diamond system" in football in India in the late 1970s, Dutta is known as "Diamond Coach".

Playing career Earlier career Dutta began his playing career in Friends Club of Jorasanko. In his first season with the club, he was part of the team that toured Romania and participated in World Youth Festival, and Soviet Union in 1953. In that year, the club played against German side Kickers Offenbach and Soviet team Torpedo Moscow.

He also played for Mohun Bagan, arch-rival of East Bengal, for a short period of time and represented the club in Rovers Cup. He was also a member of Indian squad in the 1954 Asian Games in Manila.

Coaching career Dutta hanged-up his boots after his playing career cut short due to injury at the age of 29. He then went to England for a one-year FA coaching course paid for from his own finances, where he was taught by renowned football administrator Walter Winterbottom, who was first manager of England. Dutta was influenced by Indian coach Sir Dukhiram Majumder.

After returning to India, Dutta started a coaching camp in Bally, Howrah. His first major assignment was to coach Railways in 1960 for the Santosh Trophy, and later managed Odisha twice in the same tournament. Dutta later managed Calcutta Football League club Aryan from 1960 to 1962 and guided players like Asim Moulick. His first assignment with a big club was in 1963 with East Bengal midway through the Calcutta Football League. His first Kolkata Derby match against Mohun Bagan ended in a 3–0 defeat in CFL, and in the return leg, East Bengal bounced back and clinched a 2–0 victory. In his long coaching career he was associated with premier football clubs of India, and also became coach of India. Dutta coached all the three big clubs of the Kolkata Maidan. With East Bengal; he won the CFL (twice), IFA shield (twice), Rovers Cup, Durand Cup, Darjeeling Gold Cup, Bordoloi Trophy, Airlines Gold Cup, Sanjay Gandhi Gold Cup and ATP Shield. He had more success with Mohun Bagan whom he coached to 4 Calcutta Football League titles, 4 IFA Shield titles, 3 Federation Cups, 2 Durand Cups and also wins in DCM Trophy, All Airlines Gold Cup, Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup and Nehru Trophy. After managing the mariners in 1969–1971 and 1985–1987, Dutta returned to the club again in 1989. He then utilized an innovative 3–4–3 "Diamond System", with Abdul Khaliq and Okerie in the front, the club played offensively, which was rare in Indian football. At the 1997 Federation Cup, one of the most anticipated matches in Indian football history, Dutta managed the club against Banerjee's East Bengal in front of the recorded 131,000+ spectators at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan. Despite a 4–1 defeat, fans lauded Mohun Bagan's impressive style of play under his "Diamond System".

Dutta has also managed another Kolkata-based NFL side Tollygunge Agragami from 1999 to 2000. He helped the team reaching final of the 105th edition of IFA Shield in November 1999. Tollygunge also played in the Calcutta Football League under his short spell of coaching. In September 2006, Dutta was roped in as head coach of Chirag United in place of Belgian manager Philippe De Ridder. Dutta also managed teams like BNR, Titanium SC, Bhatri Sangha. He managed noted Indian club Dempo in 1981–82 and helped the team clinching Goa Senior Division League title in 1981. In his coaching career, he managed the India national football team and helped them clinching gold at the 1987 South Asian Games, held in Pakistan. In 1967–68, and 1980–81, he managed Odisha in Santosh Trophy, and also worked as technical director of India while Syed Nayeemuddin was head coach. He also managed another Kolkata-giant Mohammedan Sporting. A rough and tough behavior coach in local and national level teams, and highly controversial character on and off the pitch, Dutta is known as the first Indian professional coach, who gave Bengali youngsters their first taste of world football by showing them video clippings of famous Brazilian players of that time. Popularly known as the "Diamond Coach" of Indian football for utilising the 3–4–3 diamond formation, he was one of the key figures who shaped the Kolkata Derby rivalry between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal.

During his early days with the "red and gold brigade" as head coach, he felt that 2–3–5 formation is outdated and wanted to try a three-man defence influenced by the Soviet Union. Noted Bengali poet and writer Akshay Kumar Baral was his maternal grandfather.

Legacy In July 2016, Utpal Ganguly, president of Indian Football Association, announced that the best coach of every Calcutta Football League season will be awarded with Amal Dutta Trophy, as IFA's tribute to Amal Dutta.

A multipurpose stadium named "Amal Dutta Krirangan" in Dum Dum, North 24 Parganas, was built in honour of Dutta, which was inaugurated by sports and PWD minister Aroop Biswas in March 2020. The stadium also hosts matches of Calcutta Football League.

Honours Player

India Asian Quadrangular Football Tournament: 1953

East Bengal Durand Cup: 1956 P. K. Nair Gold Cup: 1956

Manager East Bengal IFA Shield: 1965, 1976, 1981, 1983, 1984 Federation Cup: 1978, 1980 Durand Cup: 1978, 1982 Calcutta Football League: 1977, 1982, 1985 Rovers Cup: 1980 DCM Trophy: 1983 Bordoloi Trophy: 1978 Darjeeling Gold Cup: 1976, 1981, 1982, 1985 Stafford Cup: 1981 Sanjay Gandhi Gold Cup: 1984 Trades Cup: 1976 William Younger Cup: 1976

Mohun Bagan IFA Shield: 1969 Rovers Cup: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1985 Federation Cup: 1986, 1987 Durand Cup: 1985, 1986 Calcutta Football League: 1986

Dempo Goa Senior Division League: 1981

Tollygunge Agragami IFA Shield runner-up: 1999

Chirag United Trades Cup: 2007; runner-up: 2006

Individual East Bengal "Lifetime Achievement Award": 2014 Sportskeeda Coach of the All time Indian Football XI