For years, the installation appears to have divided opinion. The report says it was put in place ahead of the 2017 U-17 World Cup and became closely associated with the previous state government. Supporters may have mocked it, questioned it and argued over it, but it also became part of the visual language of Salt Lake Stadium - a place tied to major East Bengal and Mohun Bagan derbies, and to the wider theatre of football in Kolkata.
That is why its reported removal carries weight. Stadiums are not only about matches. They are about memory, ritual and the landmarks fans use to locate themselves in a football city.
The report says minister Nisith Pramanik had already signalled the move and described the statue as “feia”, arguing it did not suit such an iconic ground. That language matters. It frames the decision as aesthetic improvement, but it also appears to underline a wider political reset around a venue that sits at the heart of the city’s sporting identity.
Football grounds often become stages for civic pride. In Kolkata, they can also become stages for political messaging.
The sculpture’s disappearance, if confirmed more widely, will not change the roar inside the stadium when the big games arrive. But it may change the way the arena is presented - to locals, to visiting stars and to television audiences.
The next thing to watch is whether this reported move is followed by the infrastructure upgrades officials have spoken about. At a stadium as historic as Salt Lake, even the space outside the gates can become part of the story.