India will play a match in the stadium on October 3. What are your thoughts on the upcoming game?
Ganguly: I recently saw the news about it. Football is a fantastic sport. I really enjoy watching it, and Brazil is one of the greatest footballing nations in the world. So, I hope they come with a very strong team and that it provides good exposure to Indian footballers.
That is what you need when you play against players who are better than you — you improve and become better yourself. So, this is very good for Indian football. And it is not just Brazil. Uruguay are coming, Panama are coming, so there are a few teams coming to Bengal to play football.
Hopefully, this continues consistently because it will give our players a lot of exposure.
Brazil’s captain Cafu has visited Kolkata before. Will he be coming with the team next month?
Ganguly: Cafu has been to Kolkata before. He will be coming here with the team next month. It will be good to have someone like him involved with the team. If Brazil bring a good team, it will mean good football.
Recently, Nepal was hit by devastating floods. What would you like to say to the people affected?
Ganguly: My good wishes are with the families and people of Nepal. I hope they recover soon. Natural catastrophes are not easy. They are extremely difficult, take away many lives and disrupt the entire system of a nation.
My prayers are with everyone affected, and I hope they are able to recover very soon.
Lionel Messi has retired from international football. What are your thoughts on his legacy?
Ganguly: This is what sport is all about. The best players eventually have to retire, and Lionel Messi has been absolutely brilliant over a very long period of time. But retirement is inevitable in sport.
The best players eventually have to go, and Messi has left behind a legacy that will be very difficult to match. I have seen Diego Maradona play — another left-footer from Argentina — and Messi has carried that tradition forward.
These kinds of legacies are very hard to maintain, but Argentina is such a great sporting and footballing nation. Brazil, England, Germany, Spain — these are countries that consistently produce world-class players.
Hopefully, there will be another great player coming through soon.
After the change in government, there have been several new opportunities in sports. Do you think these opportunities will continue?
Ganguly: They should. Sport is one of the biggest influencers of people. When you bring young boys and girls into sport, whether it is football, cricket or any other discipline, you give them a life and an opportunity.
That is why these opportunities are very important, and I hope they continue.
Finally, do you miss hosting Dadagiri?
Ganguly: I have been hosting Bigg Boss, but Dadagiri has been going on for 10 years. So yes, you miss it a little.
