Wildly cheered by hundreds of soccer fans
Wildly cheered by hundreds of soccer fans, Uruguayan star footballer Diego Forlan - the golden ball winner in the recently held World Cup - arrived in the city Friday on a three-day tour to take part in a soccer reality show organised by a private channel. Forlan, who played a stellar role in carrying two-time World Cup champions Uruguay to their first World Cup semi-final in four decades, touched down at the NSC Bose International Airport in the morning to the cheers of soccer aficionados, who patiently waited for hours for a glimpse of the Athletico Madrid player.
The Uruguayan sensation, sporting a white collarless t-shirt seemed tired after a 28 hour-long journey from Montevideo via Sao Paulo, Johannesburg and Dubai. Amid tight security, he was driven straight to the hotel, where he is scheduled to relax for the rest of the day to overcome jet lag.
The 31-year-old Forlan, who struck five goals in the South Africa World Cup, would take part in a soccer talent hunt show to be aired by the Mahuaa Bangla channel. While Kolkata has hosted legendary footballers like Pele, Diego Maradona, Lothar Matthaus, Oliver Kahn, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Gerd Muller, Romario and Branco in the past, all of them had visited the city long after their retirement.
Brazilian star Zico had come as the coach of Japan’s national side for a pre-World Cup game, while Cameroon’s Roger Milla - adjudged the best African player of the last century - played an exhibition match months after his sparkling performance at the 1990 World Cup.
Mohun Bahgan sources said the club would be fielding a junior side for the game slated to be played at the Salt Lake stadium.