Kolkata, fondly known as the Mecca of Indian Football among the football fans across the country, is all set to add another feather in its already illustrious cap as it is going to be graced by some of the biggest footballers of yesteryear in the third week of September. The football-crazy fans of the City of Joy are in for a great treat as eternal Spanish rivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are ready to lock horns against each other in a friendly match.

The match, which will feature the legends of both the sides, will be held in the memory of legendary Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff. Real Madrid legends Amancio Amaro, Isidoro San Jose and Richard Galeo confirmed the news through an announcement at Real’s stadium, Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.

Meanwhile, the iconic Salt Lake Stadium will not be able to host the exhibition match due to the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup in October. Consequently, the proposed match is likely to be held at the Rabindra Sarovar Stadium where all the Indian Super League matches were held during the last season. The match will be organised by Football Next Foundation.

Kaushik Moulik, a Bengali entrepreneur and former India international Dipendu Biswas are in Madrid to confirm the match. Dipendu will be the Brand Ambassador for the proposed El Clasico.

Kolkata, which hosts Indian football’s biggest rivalry- the Mohun Bagan and East Bengal derby, has hosted some memorable matches in the past. In 2008, German heavyweights Bayern Munich arrived in Kolkata to play a farewell match for their legendary goalkeeper Oliver Kahn. Bayern had beaten Bagan by 3-0 to give Kahn a fitting farewell. Three years later, Kolkata played host to another huge match when South America rivals Argentina and Venezuela played an international friendly.