ISL: East Bengal set to play in the ISL, assures Mamta Banerjee

The honorable Chief Minister of West Bengal assured East Bengal fans today, that the club will take part in the upcoming Hero Indian Super League season. The 2021-22 ISL season is set to start in November and will be played in Goa, under closed doors like last year.

There was a huge shadow of doubt over East Bengal's participation in the ISL due to the ongoing tussle between East Bengal and their investor Shree Cement. The tussle intensified went the East Bengal Executive Committee refused to sign the final agreement sheet for the continuation of the joint venture between the two parties. The Committee also labeled the joint venture one-sided, and it looked like the future of the club was uncertain.

Last year, Mamta Banerjee played an important role in the deal, in onboarding Shree Cements as investors in East Bengal. She was also present at the signing ceremony of the official contract between the two parties. The relationship between the two parties went downhill after the ISL was over, and it looked like the club won't feature in the upcoming ISL or even the Calcutta Football League.

But on Monday, the Chief Minister herself stated that the issues at the club are on the verge of getting resolved and the club will be able to take part in the upcoming tournaments. The news well comes as a sigh of relief for the fans, and as they were protesting against the executive committee, and wanted the agreement to be signed as early as possible. The protests had turned violent, and there were many injuries sustained to the fans who were at the sight of the protest.

What did Mamta Banerjee say on the East Bengal matter?

"I want East Bengal to play in ISL. There are talks going on related to the contract (final agreement) and as per information, East Bengal will play in the ISL. Last time, I had to interfere. I had no other option because Mohun Bagan was already in the ISL and I had to make sure another club from West Bengal played there.

"This time too, I will request all parties to negotiate and everything will be okay. Taking responsibility for five years is also not a joke. The investor has to spend close to INR 50 crores. Last time we had convinced them to come and invest in the club. The little differences will be solved and I hope very soon the East Bengal fans will have a smile on their faces and the club will play in the ISL."