Subrata recalls dubious penalty against Pele's Cosmos

Mohun Bagan would have won against Pele's New York Cosmos in the exhibition match 38 years ago had it been not for a dubious penalty, something that was to do with the Brazilian great's intimidating presence.
Recounting the historic match at Eden Gardens on September 24, 1977, Mohun Bagan captain Subrata Bhattacharya today said the referee was so overawed by Pele's appeal that he pointed to the spot in a 73rd minute move.
The rest as the say is history as Giorgio Chinaglia cancelled out Mohun Bagan's impressive 2-1 lead that had the 80,000 capacity crowd at Eden Gardens on its feet.

"It was not a penalty, even Pele conceded that after the match. It was a clean tackle of Sudhir Karmakar on a Cosmos player. But (referee) Laxmida was so intimidated by Pele's call that he had to point to the spot," the former India defender smiled, recollecting the historic match that created unprecedented euphoria in the football-crazy city.
As Pele will revisit the Eden on October 12 and meet the Mohun Bagan team of yesteryears, Bhattacharya has something to ask the 'king of football'.
"I feel economically both Brazil and India are the same but I want to ask him why football in our country has not developed," a concerned Bhattacharya said.