Is Barreto the show over?

After spending five dedicated seasons, Mohun Bagan8217;s Jose Ramirez Barreto 8212; a household name in Kolkata 8212; is all set to quit ...

After spending five dedicated seasons, Mohun Bagan8217;s Jose Ramirez Barreto 8212; a household name in Kolkata 8212; is all set to quit the club even as the officials, including those in the rival camp East Bengal are hoping that the Brazilian would reconsider his decision.

Barreto8217;s decision came like a bolt from the blue. In fact, as he put it, 8216;8216;it8217;s a matter of prestige.8217;8217; When The Sunday Express caught up with the striker in Kolkata, he reluctantly said that he was being blamed by some club officials for 8216;8216;not performing.8217;8217;

According to sources, the issue cropped up after Bagan8217;s 0-1 loss 8212; their second in succession 8212; to Churchill Brothers in a NFL encounter at Margao. The loss seemed an irritant to some club officials who said on his face 8216;8216;he was not giving his best.8217;8217; Some players even went to the extent of equating his performance with the amount he was being paid.

For Barreto all this was 8216;utter rubbish8217;. 8216;8216;I have been loyal to Bagan and since they treated me well I returned year after year,8217;8217; he informed. 8216;8216;But this accusation is insulting. I never expected it and will not compromise.8217;8217;

With Barreto 8216;8216;not interested8217;8217; in speaking to any one of the two Bagan factions president Tutu Bose and secretary Anjan Mitra on one side and assistant secretary Balaram Choudhary on the other, his teammate Edu was sure that Barreto was leaving India on Sunday. In fact, Saturday was the third day in succession that Barreto did not turn up for practice, leaving the Bagan camp in a chaos. Coach Aloke Mukherjee said: 8216;8216;We are trying our bit but he does not seem to be available.8217;8217; He has been avoiding any dialogue with the officials.

For Mitra and Choudhary, it is been a case of one blaming the other. Choudhary alleged that Mitra was 8216;unnecessarily poking his nose,8217;8217; while Mitra claimed 8216;8216;all was well in his tenure.8217;8217;

However, Barreto8217;s stand has evoked a feeling of a loss to the game overall and East Bengal coach Shubash Bhowmick has attempted talking to the Brazilian to stay on. 8216;8216;He is definitely the best foreign striker ever India has seen,8217;8217; came a heart-warming statement. 8216;8216;His game has a lot of lessons that the Indian players could pick up,8217;8217; he added which was also seconded by Vasco SC coach Derrick D8217;Souza.

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Strange as it may sound, there are rumours that Brazilians Eduardo Rebeiro, Leonardo Monorat de Almeida and physio Robson D8217;Oliveria are being given a raw deal by the club. This has also saddened Barreto.

Barreto8217;s qutting, as Rennedy Singh describes, 8216;8216;would be a big loss8217;8217; to football overall, NFL included. 8216;8216;We hope to convince him to stay, but he is hell bent on moving out,8217;8217; he added.