Diamond Harbour has taken one step at a time, but in 2026, it will have finally earned its status as a top-flight club. | Photo Credit: AIFF MEDIA

The story of football in West Bengal has primarily been dominated by the Big Three – East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting. And rightly so. But now, the state has another name to discuss: Diamond Harbour Football Club.

The club, established just six years ago, has taken one step at a time, but in 2026, it will have finally earned its status as a top-flight club.

Diamond Harbour began as a project like hundreds of clubs in the state, and got affiliation from the Indian Football Association (IFA) two years later. But the vision was clear: quick promotion, and that too on merit.

It turned to Kibu Vicuna, a coach who was well-versed in Indian football. He won the I-League – then India’s top flight – with Mohun Bagan in his maiden season in the country, and also coached Kerala Blasters and Mohammedan Sporting.

“The difficulties were very great because winning one championship is very difficult, but winning three consecutive titles was a seriously difficult task. But we were all at it. We believed from the beginning, and so did the management,” Vicuna tells Sportstar.

The initial rise

The Indian men’s football pyramid comprises five steps: State Leagues — > I-League 3 — > I-League 2 — > Indian Football League (I-League) — > Indian Super League. Through nomination, the club entered the I-League 3.

“In these four years, we started from zero, bringing on trials for some players that we knew. We began scouting from everywhere, the Calcutta Football League, the I-League and every season, we were scouting better players,” Vicuna adds.

Signing local forward Naro Hari Shrestha worked wonders – the forward who had won the National Games gold with West Bengal in 2022. He ended up as the tournament’s highest goalscorer – with 10 goals in 11 matches – and netted five more in I-League 2.

Between September 2024 and April 2025, Vicuna and his wards won double promotion by winning both I-League 3 and I-League 2, making the club’s vision clearer.

The I-League grind

Diamond Harbour was just one step short of playing in the ISL.

But the Indian Football League was a different ballgame: more teams, longer season and physically aggressive matches — a division where legacy clubs like Aizawl, Shillong Lajong, Gokulam Kerala and Dempo have struggled for promotion.

It was here that Vicuna’s experience in India proved pivotal.

“The knowledge from here definitely helped because every country has its own footballing culture, especially that in Mohun Bagan and Kerala Blasters – it was important,” he says, underlining how he looked for players with experience somewhere close to the ISL.

In came Luka Majcen, Mirshad K. Michu, Melroy Assisi, Bryce Miranda and Halicharan Narzary (on loan), all of whom came with both I-League and ISL experience. Narzary, notably, had hit the winning penalty kick to guide Hyderabad FC to its first and only ISL title.

Five more foreigners joined the club: Kevin Aladesanmi, Hugo Díaz, Antonio Moyano, Mikel Kortazar, and Sunday Afolab. Suddenly, the club was no longer adjusting to the second division; it was eyeing the title in its maiden season in the IFL.

Never say never

“We tried to win every single game, no matter what the tournament was. So, we reached the final of the Durand Cup by beating three ISL teams,” Vicuna says.

On the field, Vicuna stuck to one of the simplest yet most effective philosophies of the game: accurate set pieces. Of the 31 goals Diamond Harbour scored in IFL this season, 20 were from set-pieces.

Former East Bengal regular Joby Justin and Narzary became the most potent carriers along the two flanks, while Antonio Moyano played as a False 9. The triumvirate directly contributed to 17 of the 31 goals by the club in the IFL.

But what separated the club from the rest was beyond strategy; it was resilience. In nine of the 13 IFL matches this season, Diamond Harbour mounted comebacks from losing postions, earning 17 of its 29 points.

In fact, in the last game of the season, Diamond Harbour was trailing 0-1 against Dempo SC before Hugo Diaz equalised in first-half stoppage time to secure the title for the West Bengal-based club.

So, what’s the secret to the comebacks?

“No secrets,” Vicuna clarifies, “It is about our values – we are an offensive team. We want to always score more goals than the opponent, and when they score, we are trying to answer back as per our capabilities. This is something we have developed only this season. We have nurtured this in training, with ambition, confidence and humility,” Vicuna says.

Diamond Harbour’s journey of becoming a potential fourth ‘Big Gun’ in West Bengal football might have scripted its first chapter.

However, Vicuna and West Bengal-based clubs entering ISL after winning the I-League have both not gone down well before. Mohammedan Sporting, the 2023-24 I-League champion, was relegated from ISL this season, while Vicuna was shown the door by Kerala Blasters after the club secured only three wins in 18 games.

But Diamond Harbour’s journey has been like nothing before, and the coach will hope he and the club are second-time lucky to complete the cinematic ascent to the top of the podium of the Indian Super League very soon.

Published on May 20, 2026