Dutta began his playing career in Friends Club ofJorasanko.[9] He then went on to play for numerous clubs of lower divisions, Subarnon, Sporting Union,Aryans andBengal Nagpur Railway respectively.[9]
Dutta made his full-time professional club football debut in the CFL, in early 1950s, appeared withEast Bengal in three consecutive seasons from 1953 to 1956.[9] During his playing days with both East Bengal and India, he played under two of the India's coaches, Bagha Som andSyed Abdul Rahim.[10] In his first season with the club, he was part of the team that touredRomania and participated inWorld Youth Festival, andSoviet Union in 1953.[11][12][13] In that year, the club played against German sideKickers Offenbach[14] and Soviet teamTorpedo Moscow.[15]
He also played forMohun Bagan, arch-rival of East Bengal, for a short period of time and represented the club inRovers Cup.[9]
Dutta also appeared with the Indian team against numerous visiting European teams in exhibition matches, including a 1–0 defeat toAllsvenskan clubAIK atCC&FC Ground in Kolkata on 10 December 1954.[19]
Dutta hanged-up his boots after his playing career cut short due to injury at the age of 29.[20] Soon in the early 1960s, he left his job in theIndian Railways to become a full-time coach.[11] He then went toEngland for a one-yearFA coaching course paid for from his own finances, where he was taught by renowned football administratorWalter Winterbottom, who was first manager ofEngland.[21] Dutta was influenced by Indian coach SirDukhiram Majumder.[22]
After returning to India, Dutta started a coaching camp inBally, Howrah. His first major assignment was to coach Railways in 1960 for theSantosh Trophy, and later managed Odisha twice in the same tournament. Dutta later managedCalcutta Football League clubAryan from 1960 to 1962 and guided players like Asim Moulick.[23] His first assignment with a big club was in 1963 withEast Bengal midway through theCalcutta Football League. His firstKolkata Derby match againstMohun Bagan ended in a 3–0 defeat in CFL, and in the return leg, East Bengal bounced back and clinched a 2–0 victory.[11] He remained as coach of East Bengal in 1964 but a year later, after gaining coaching course abroad, the first-ever in India and a feat for which, he received little recognition.[11]
I am known as a Harley Street specialist. When the patient (losing football club) has been treated by all doctors and not recovered, they come to me.
— Dutta on his coaching days, in an interview withNovy Kapadia.[11]
Leaving his job from the Indian Railways to become a full-time coach, was a bold step in the then amateur football scene of the country and it is the reason behind his nickname, the 'first professional coach of India'.[24] In his long coaching career he was associated with premier football clubs of India, and also became coach ofIndia.[25] Dutta coached all the three big clubs of theKolkata 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 4Calcutta Football League titles, 4IFA Shield titles, 3 Federation Cups, 2 Durand Cups and also wins inDCM Trophy,All Airlines Gold Cup,Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup and Nehru Trophy.[26] In a single season withMohammedan Sporting in 1980, Dutta won Rovers, DCM and Sikkim Governors Gold Cup titles.[26]
With Mohun Bagan, Dutta won multiple trophies including a "double" in 1969 (IFA Shield andCalcutta Football League). He guided the team clinchingRovers Cup consecutively from 1970 to 1972 while players like Bhabani Roy were flourished under his tenure.[27] After managingthe mariners in 1969–1971 and 1985–1987, Dutta returned to the club again in 1989.[28] He then utilized an innovative3–4–3 "Diamond System", with Abdul Khaliq and Okerie in the front, the club played offensively, which was rare in Indian football. At the1997 Federation Cup, one of the most anticipated matches inIndian football history, Dutta managed the club againstBanerjee's East Bengal in front of the recorded 131,000+ spectators at theVivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan.[29][30] Despite a 4–1 defeat, fans lauded Mohun Bagan's impressive style of play under his "Diamond System".[31][32][33][34]
Dutta has also managed anotherKolkata-based NFL sideTollygunge Agragami from 1999 to 2000.[35][36] He helped the team reaching final of the 105th edition ofIFA Shield in November 1999.[37] Tollygunge also played in the Calcutta Football League under his short spell of coaching.[38] In September 2006, Dutta was roped in as head coach ofChirag United in place of Belgian managerPhilippe De Ridder.[39][40][41] Dutta also managed teams likeBNR, Titanium SC, Bhatri Sangha.[26] He managed noted Indian clubDempo in 1981–82 and helped the team clinching Goa Senior Division League title in 1981.[42] In his coaching career, he managed theIndia national football team and helped them clinching gold at the1987 South Asian Games, held in Pakistan.[43][44] In 1967–68, and 1980–81, he managedOdisha inSantosh Trophy, and also worked as technical director of India whileSyed Nayeemuddin was head coach. He also managed another Kolkata-giant Mohammedan Sporting.[45] 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.[26]
Dutta was renowned for his bold and innovative tactics and formation, Diamond system.[46] Popularly known as the "Diamond Coach" ofIndian football for utilising the 3–4–3 diamond formation, he was one of the key figures who shaped theKolkata Derby rivalry betweenMohun Bagan andEast Bengal.[43] Dutta is India's first ever licensed coach, who is credited to have employed modern methods in domestic football, before those became popular in the country.[20]
Amal Dutta's 4–2–4 line-up for Mohun Bagan against East Bengal at the 1969IFA Shield final.
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 theSoviet Union.[43][46] His proposal to acquire the three-man defence tactic was denied by thenEast Bengal manager Jyotish Chandra Guha.[46] He brought the iconicBrazilian 4–2–4 system in Mohun Bagan despite opposition from club legends includingSailen Manna, and later used the bold 3–4–3 formation.[11] As chief coach ofIndia, Dutta introduced the 4–4–2 formation at theFootball at the 1987 South Asian Games, in which they won gold defeatingNepal. The 3–4–3 diamond formation was popularly used byJohan Cruyff'sFC Barcelona. Being a stickler for discipline, Dutta revolutionizedfootball in Kolkata.[43][11]
Dutta was born inCalcutta, brought up in Shikdarpara Lane.[9] Noted Bengali poet and writerAkshay Kumar Baral was his maternal grandfather.[9] In his earlier days, Dutta learntTabla playing from Radheshyam Dutta.[9] He was married to Arati Dutta.[9] The 1946 riots in Bengal changed Dutta's life for a while.[46] In his working career before entering into coaching, Dutta was employed in bothBengal Nagpur Railway andIncome Tax Department of India.[9] He also worked inRifle Factory Ishapore, also coached the institution's football team.[46]
A multipurpose stadium named "Amal Dutta Krirangan" inDum Dum,North 24 Parganas, was built in honour of Dutta, which was inaugurated by sports andPWD ministerAroop Biswas in March 2020.[7][50] The stadium also hosts matches of Calcutta Football League.[51][52][53]
^abcdefghi"মুছে গেল হীরকের দ্যুতি" [The light of the diamond disappeared].eisamay.com (in Bengali). Kolkata: Ei Samay Newspaper. 11 July 2016. Archived fromthe original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved28 November 2023.
^abcdChakraborty, Ratan (11 July 2016)."চলে গেলেন বাঙালিকে বিশ্ব ফুটবলের স্বাদ দেওয়ার জনক" [The father who gave Bengalis a taste of world football has passed away].anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Kolkata: Anandabazar Patrika. Archived fromthe original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved28 November 2023.
^Ganguly, Shovan (7 March 2020)."কিংবদন্তি কোচ অমল দত্তের নামে স্টেডিয়াম" [Stadium renamed after legendary football coach Amal Dutta].amarbangla.co (in Bengali). Kolkata. Archived fromthe original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved26 January 2022.
Moitra, Parijat (24 June 2020)."ইস্টবেঙ্গল ক্লাবের প্রথম বাঙালি বিদেশি ফুটবলার" [The first foreign Bengali player of East Bengal Club].facebook.com (East Bengal Samachar) (in Bengali). Archived fromthe original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved8 September 2021.
Bhattacharya, Ayan (10 September 2023)."বাংলা ভাগের ক্ষত কিভাবে বিষিয়ে দিল মোহনবাগান আর ইস্টবেঙ্গলকে?" [How did the wound of the partition of Bengal poisoned both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal?].inscript.me (in Bengali). Kolkata: ইনস্ক্রিপ্ট বাংলা নিউজ. Archived fromthe original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved7 November 2023.
