Krishanu Dey was an Indian footballer from Kolkata, India. He was an attacking midfielder and was known as the "Indian Maradona" among his fans due to his footballing skills and playing style.
Club career
Krishanu began his professional career in the Kolkata League with the Police A.C. Team in 1979 under Achyut Banerjee. Later shifted to Calcutta Port Trust Team in 1980. After spending a couple of seasons there, he joined Mohun Bagan in 1982. He played for Mohun Bagan till 1984. In 1982 he scored a debut goal against Dempo Sports Club in the Strafford Cup. After a series of attempts from Ex-East Bengal recruiter Dipak Das he joined their arch-rival East Bengal Club in 1985 along with Bikash Panji and became an East Bengal legend. It was during his time in East Bengal, that made him known as the "Indian Maradona". He played for East Bengal continuously for a period of 7 years where he won many accolades including a treble in 1990. Before returning to Mohun Bagan in 1992. Krishanu again returned to East Bengal in 1994 for a season before joining his employer Food Corporation of India's football team in 1995. He played for them till his retirement in 1997. He also coached Food Corporation of India and Kalighat Club after retirement. He was one of the highest paid Indian footballers of eighties and along with his close friend and fellow midfielder Bikash Panji with whom he formed a lethal combination on the field. His club transfer stories throughout the eighties and early nineties are very intriguing where the club dropped down to the level of crime to acquire his signature.
International career
Krishanu debut for India in 22 June 1984 in the Great Wall Cup against China. Krishanu represented India in 10 list 'A' matches and scored 7 goals including a hat-trick in Merdeka Tournament against Thailand in Malaysia, 1986. He was the fifth Indian and second Bengali after Subhas Bhoumik to score an international hat-trick for India. He took part in Asian Games, Merdeka Cup, Pre-Olympics, SAFF Games and Asian Cup as a member of the Indian team. He was the captain of the Indian team in 1992 Asian Cup qualifiers.
Personal life
He lived in Naktala,a south Kolkata neighbourhood. In his childhood, Krishanu used to play cricket and hated playing football as it is a more physical game. After realizing his talent in football he started taking the sport more seriously. He married a girl from Naktala on 8 February 1988 and in 25 December 1990, he and his wife were blessed with a son. He died on 20 March 2003 following a pulmonary disorder and multi-organ failure in a Kolkata hospital. He is survived by his wife Sharmila Dey and a son Soham Dey, who is sports journalist in a leading newspaper in Kolkata. He has a Statue in his honor near Patuli Area in Kolkata. The Indian Football Association has named their under-19 football league in his memory.
