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What's the story?
Mohun Bagan supporters have recently started a movement seeking to bring development of the club by roping in a corporate organization as a sponsor. The century-old club has had financial problems and the recent mishap between the top club officials was more than enough for the passionate fans considering the fact that their arch-rivals East Bengal is already backed by a multinational company.
In case you didn't know...
East Bengal recently started a collaboration with QUESS Corp, a 10-year-old company which has spread its wings to all corners of the world. Just after unveiling the new sponsor, the new club Quess East Bengal Football Club has roped in Costa Rican defender Johnny Acosta which was probably one of the biggest signings in Indian Football for the past few years.
The heart of the matter
"We want Mohun Bagan to be a corporate club. Our neighbour (East Bengal) has already found a sponsor and have taken steps to participate in the Indian Super League and even decided that their hometown is going to be Siliguri. On the other hand, we have failed to secure a sponsor for the past three years. Why is Mohun Bagan still without a sponsor," said Sourish Mukherjee, a Mohun Bagan loyalist after IFA Shield semi-final on Tuesday evening.
A series of posters -- which read, "We Want Corporate, We Want Investors, We Want Development" -- were displayed by the fans during the match between Mohun Bagan U19 and SAIL Burnpur U19.
“The officials are at fault for the current situation of the club. We should learn from Bengaluru FC and how they have emerged as a professional club in just five years. They have reached the final of the AFC Cup, they have the infrastructure and possess the financial backing of signing top quality foreign recruits,” added Sourish.
What's next?
With the Calcutta Football League round the corner, the ‘Mariners’ still has a few months left before the I-League season starts. We have to wait and see if the Kolkata giants manage to get hold of a major sponsor or not. If they fail to do so, the future of the club will be in jeopardy.
