In a classic turn of events, East Bengal FC are now facing the repercussions of not having a proper communication channel between the coach and the management. Trevor James Morgan, the Red and Gold Brigade’s coach, had clarified to the club’s officials that he had deemed Do Dong-Hyun as surplus to his requirements.
However, as we had reported before, East Bengal had already extended the Korean midfielder’s contract, something that has now come back to haunt them.
Do Dong had come to the forefront after excelling for NorthEast United FC in the first season of the Indian Super League. The Bengal footballing giants had signed him soon after, and 12 goals in 10 Calcutta Football League games in the 2014-15 season, including a stunning brace against eternal rivals Mohun Bagan FC had made him a firm fan favourite. However, injuries and a string of poor shows since then have jeopardised his reputation to such an extent that he has no offers from any Indian club right now.
According to sources in the club, handing Dong a release order will cost a bucket which the club cannot afford right now. There were intense discussions with the player regarding his departure both yesterday and on Monday, but a mutually beneficial solution could not be finalised.
When East Bengal football secretary Santosh Bhattacharya was quizzed about the meeting, he replied, “I cannot say with certainty whether Dong has already been released. There can be last minute changes.” However, he assured that an agreement will most probably be reached by Thursday and that the club was still negotiating his compensation fees.
The player himself, however, seems to be relaxed and was even spotted taking selfies with the fans after the meeting. While his future is yet to be finalised, one is certain that the 22-year-old is certainly not in Morgan’s plans, and even if he has to be retained due to the legal complications, he will not be featuring prominently for East Bengal.
No matter how divided the club’s board may be right now, it seems all of them are eager to resolve the matter as soon as possible. They have already procured the services of the Haitian forward Wedson, and are reportedly looking to sign Andrew Borisic as a replacement for Dong.
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