ISL: East Bengal FC promise to return to old ways with new investors

After quite a period of anticipation East Bengal officially announced Emami Group as their new investor, conquering various barriers that had arisen since their deal was agreed upon on April 26. Club officials are confident the 'old East Bengal' will return this year under a new management and a lot of fresh players being brought in as well.

At an event in Kolkata, it was further disclosed that Emami Group will retain 77% of the company, while East Bengal will retain 23%, with the former having 7 board members and the latter having 3. East Bengal FC has also been announced as the team name for the upcoming Indian Super League season. East Bengal FC's first tournament of the season would be the Durand Cup.

The century-old club has had difficulty retaining investors in recent years. East Bengal had enlisted Bengaluru-based Quess Corp, selling a 70% stake in 2018, but the relationship soured within two years, resulting in a messy breakup. The 'red and gold brigade' played in the top-tier Indian Super League under the name SC East Bengal for the last two seasons. Their ill-fated partnership with Shree Cement Ltd ended early after they finished ninth out of 11 teams in their ISL debut in 2020-21, followed by a rock-bottom finish.

Aditya V. Aggarwal on the joint venture: 

Mr. Aditya V. Agarwal, Director, Emami Group, was confident and ecstatic in setting off a new journey with the century old club as he spoke candidly to the press on the association.

"We were waiting for this day since long. We start a new journey today – Emami East Bengal. East Bengal is not only a football club but also an emotion. Similarly, Emami is also not only a name but it's a belief and responsible corporate company."

"It's a great honour to join hands with East Bengal. We (Emami Group) are based in Calcutta. I would say two giants of the city are joining hands and I am sure and confident that this will be a huge success. The team will play as East Bengal FC and we are looking forward to getting good results," Agarwal said.

"We have had a very successful association with East Bengal Club during mid-90's as a sponsor... Our first priority is to have a strong team for the Indian Super League (ISL) and all the other tournaments, that is our main focus at this point in time. There is no exit clause in the agreement. That means we are not thinking about that."

On Transfers: 

East Bengal have recently signed a few players. Aniket Jadhav, Souvik Chakrabarti, and Jerry Lalrinzuala were amongst those who have already signed. Ivan Gonzalez, Aridai Cabrera, and others who were sent pre-contracts will also sign in the coming days. At the same time, contracts of players like Ankit Mukherjee, Mobashir Rahman were extended. 

Aditya Agarwal putting a spotlight on these said: "We are lacking for the ISL. But the way we have worked in the past one month, we'll cover the lost ground. We need some more time to build a strong team. But we'll build that."

Stephen Constantine was named head coach of the club a few days ago along with former Kerala Coach Bino George assisting him. 

Aditya Agarwal said, "Stephen Constantine knows the players, Indian culture and tradition. He is a good choice. He'll be in India in a few days. Regarding the team building, we will bring in talented players."

East Bengal club official Debabrata Sarkar added, "Coach should probably get his visa tomorrow. Also, hopefully in the next few days, foreign players will be selected. At the same time, Santosh Trophy winning coach Bino George will bring in some players he has worked with." With the rumours of Kerala's Santosh Trophy heroes, Jijo Joseph, Jesin TK already floating around it doesn't seem to be an impossible endeavour. 

13 Domestic Players already signed for Senior Squad in the 2022/23 ISL: Pawan Kumar, Mohammad Rakip, Ankit Mukherjee, Sarthak Golui, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Pritam Singh, Souvik Chakrabarti, Amarjeet Singh, Mobashir Rahman, Angousana Luwang, Aniket Jadhav, Naorem Mahesh Singh, VP Suhair

A positive start

Former East Bengal captain Prasanta Banerjee, along with other former footballers, attended the event. The presence of  veterans Mehtab Hossain, Syed Rahim Nabi, Alvito D'Cunha, Krishnendu Ray, Bhaskar Ganguly, and others enhanced the event.

"Have patience," Banerjee said. "We'll take home a lot of trophies. We must let go of the past and look ahead. A strong team will emerge. The outcomes will be favourable. The people in charge of these matters are acting from their hearts."

 While East Bengal FC will begin their season in the Durand Cup against a regimental Indian side, the Kolkata derby against ATK Mohun Bagan will be the most anticipated match because it will take place in the city for the first time in two years.

Debabrata Sarkar assured on the subject: "The old East Bengal will play with the same zeal against ATK Mohun Bagan. Our preparations will be visible on the field. This season, we will not be any inferior from the other teams."