Roy Krishna departs ATK Mohun Bagan after two seasons

The Fijian scored 24 goals in his time with the Mariners

After three seasons in Kolkata, Roy Krishna and ATK Mohun Bagan have parted ways with each other. The Fijian’s journey in India was a mesmerising one, full of goals from word go. Earlier on Friday (June 03), ATK Mohun Bagan, through a social media post announced the departure of their former striker. The 34-year-old had another year in his contract with the club.

How it all started

In 2019, Roy Krishna headed towards India from the A-League. After bagging the Golden Boot for Australian side Wellington Phoenix, the skipper of the Fiji national team made his way to India. Notably, he is also of Indian origin.

When he signed for ATK FC in 2019/20, he became one of the highest-paid players in the history of the competition. He even mentioned about his ancestors heading towards Fiji from Kolkata in the past for better opportunities.

The tenure

Roy Krishna remains one of the unluckiest forwards of the Indian Super League. Both in 2019/20 and 2020/21, he became joint top-scorers with Nerjius Valskis and Igor Angulo. But statistically, he was behind the two and was never awarded the Golden Boot in the competition. The first season saw him score 15 goals in 21 matches. He also won the ISL Trophy with ATK.

The next season when ATK and Mohun Bagan merged to play in the ISL, Krishna continued at the club. Soon, he became a fan favourite. In 2020/21, he netted 14 goals in 23 games. The following season however, saw a change. The player went through a tough time. He suffered from the COVID-19 virus and his family was also affected. In the latest edition of the ISL, he scored only seven goals in 16 matches.

Undoubtedly, he performed well in AFC Cup 2022. In the first match against Gokulam Kerala, he missed plenty of chances. In the last group stage game against Maziya S&RC, he scored a goal. Even in the previous edition, he scored two goals for the club (against Bengaluru FC and Maziya).

What next?

Roy Krishna’s future is now a million-dollar question. The 34-year-old had a year left in his contract. Will he continue in India? Will he remain in Kolkata? Or will he head back to his country or play in the A-League again? All of these are speculations. But since he is now a free agent, he can sign for a club any time.