Mumbai: It’s official. Riding a wave of emotions and last-ditch efforts, East Bengal got the chance Sunday to play in the Indian Super League (ISL) in the iconic club’s centenary year. East Bengal thus joined arch rivals Mohun Bagan in the top tier league. Among others, the club’s journey to the ISL involved a serious intervention by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The latest announcement by Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) chairperson Nita Ambani came less than a month after Banerjee personally announced city-based Shree Cement as the club’s major stakeholders following negotiations in the state secretariat.
“It is such a happy and proud moment for ISL as we welcome East Bengal FC and their millions of fans into the league,” the FSDL supremo Ambani said in a statement.
The yet-to-be-christened consortium of East Bengal and Shree Cement, who holds a 76 per cent stake, becomes the 11th team to enter the ISL.
The announcement will pave the way for the FSDL to finalise the detailed fixtures of the event that is set to start in November.
Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the three-month long tournament will be played at three venues of Goa from the second half of November. In the current scenario, the matches will be closed-door affairs, but the inclusion of the Big Two of Indian football will still take the league to another level.
“The inclusion of both legacy clubs – East Bengal and Mohun Bagan (now ATK Mohun Bagan) – opens limitless possibilities for Indian football, especially for talent development,” Ambani stated.
The real challenge, however, will begin now on the field, as the club will have to finalise the squad. The coach is yet to be announced with the tournament less than three months away.