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East Bengal fans were waiting with bated breath for the signing of the agreement between the club and their new investor, the Kolkata-based diversified business conglomerate Emami Group.
The much-anticipated moment finally arrived on Tuesday (August 2) as the two parties formally announced the new joint venture named “Emami East Bengal FC Pvt Ltd” in a grand press conference at a five-star hotel in Kolkata.
In addition to unveiling the joint venture’s logo, Emami Group director Mr. Aditya V. Agarwal also confirmed that the Torchbearers will play in the Indian Super League (ISL) as East Bengal FC, since the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) rules don’t allow teams to use their investors’ names as a prefix.
Mr. Agarwal also revealed that the Emami Group will own a 77 per cent stake in the joint venture and have seven board members vis-à-vis East Bengal Club’s 23 per cent stake and three board members.
East Bengal’s team-building process is already underway and their recruiters are working overtime to lure several high-profile Indian footballers during the ongoing transfer window, which closes on September 1.
With the official announcement of the Emami-East Bengal joint venture, the Red and Gold faithful will hope to see their club salvage lost pride in the upcoming ISL after finishing ninth and rock-bottom in the previous two editions of the lucrative league.
The acrimony between East Bengal and their erstwhile investor Shree Cement Ltd over the past two years left the century-old club’s ISL future in limbo. Now, with Emami coming on board, East Bengal officials are optimistic that a long-term collaboration will help them achieve some level of stability in today’s hyper-competitive Indian football milieu. As a goodwill gesture, East Bengal officials met Shree Cement MD Hari Mohan Bangur at the Taj Bengal hotel on Tuesday.
While representatives from Emami (Aditya V. Agarwal, Manish Goenka and Sandeep Kumar Agarwal) and East Bengal (Debabrata Sarkar, Kalyan Majumder and Ajoy Krishna Chatterjee) were seated on the dais, the press conference was also attended by a host of former East Bengal footballers like Mihir Bose, Prasanta Banerjee, Bikash Panji, Bhaskar Ganguly, Aloke Mukherjee, Sumit Mukherjee, Amit Bhadra, Anit Ghosh, Alvito D’Cunha, Mehtab Hossain, Saumik Dey and Syed Rahim Nabi among others.
Sportskeeda caught up with some of them and here’s what they had to say:
Alvito D’Cunha
Former India international Alvito D’Cunha has been a vital part of East Bengal for nearly two decades now. The former midfielder, who has served the Kolkata giants as their brand ambassador and team manager since hanging up his boots in 2016, said:
“As an ex-player, I want the team to succeed in all tournaments. If the club asks me to be with the team, I will be ready. Even if that doesn’t happen, it will be fine. For me, our performance is what matters the most.”
Saumik Dey
One of East Bengal’s most popular captains, Saumik Dey expressed his confidence in the Emami-East Bengal joint venture. During his decade-long professional career between 2006 and 2016, Dey was one of East Bengal’s most reliable defenders.
The former left-back, who led the Torchbearers to victories in the 32nd Federation Cup and the Calcutta Football League (CFL) in 2010, said:
“I was loyal to East Bengal Club throughout my career. It’s great to see that they’ve now got an investor like Emami Group who’re leaving no stone unturned to build a good team and uphold the club’s legacy.
"I’m hearing that they’re trying to rope in a few Hyderabad FC players. They won the ISL last season, so it’ll be a big advantage for East Bengal.”
In addition to playing over 270 matches for East Bengal, Dey also represented the Indian national team in seven matches. At the international level, Dey had the opportunity to play under Stephen Constantine, who has been appointed as Emami East Bengal’s head coach for the upcoming season.
When asked about the experience of playing under the former India head coach, Dey replied:
“Constantine is a great man manager. His discipline is something to marvel at. He puts a lot of emphasis on fitness and motivates you to go that extra mile. The players respect him immensely and I’m sure he’ll create a great bond among the East Bengal players.”
Mehtab Hossain
Nicknamed the ‘Midfield General’ Mehtab Hossain’s on-field spunk has made him synonymous with East Bengal. The former defensive midfielder won a plethora of trophies, including an IFA Shield, a Super Cup, three Federation Cups and seven CFL titles, during his decade-long association with the club between 2007 and 2017.
Despite playing for East Bengal’s arch-rivals Mohun Bagan across two stints, Mehtab achieved more success in the red and gold colors. The former East Bengal captain and India international was asked about his expectations from the Emami-East Bengal partnership. The 36-year-old replied:
“As a former East Bengal player, it feels great to be involved in the club’s activities. I would like to thank Emami Group for inviting us to the event and acknowledging our contribution to the club’s legacy. You need experienced players to win tournaments like the ISL. I’m sure the team will have a lot of top-class players this year.”
Syed Rahim Nabi
Syed Rahim Nabi is the most versatile footballer of his generation. Capable of playing at every position except goalkeeping, Nabi’s tremendous work-rate made him one of Indian football’s most prized assets in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
Starting off his career as a striker, the TATA Football Academy (TFA) product later moved into midfield before being deployed as a wing-back.
Although he has the distinction of playing for the "Big Three" of Kolkata football – East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Mohammedan Sporting Club – Nabi spent the longest time of his career representing East Bengal from 2004 to 2011. Like D’Cunha, Dey and Mehtab, Nabi too was given the sobriquet ‘Ghorer Chhele’ by East Bengal fans.
Interacting with Sportskeeda after Tuesday’s press conference, Nabi praised Emami Group’s hospitality, saying:
“Emami Group is a big company and it’s good to see their camaraderie with East Bengal officials. Their body language is very positive and it’s evident that they want to treat the club like a family.
"I’m very happy with their hospitality today. Inviting so many former East Bengal players and signing the agreement in front of them shows they have a big heart.”
This year, East Bengal are also assembling a reserve team to compete in the CFL under Bino George. George, who guided Kerala to their seventh Santosh Trophy title earlier this year, will serve as Constantine’s deputy in the ISL.
The reserve team, which comprises several promising players like Mahitosh Roy, Subhendu Mandi, Nabi Hussain Khan, Tuhin Das, Shubham Bhowmick, Jesin TK, Jijo Joseph and Aditya Patra among others, is expected to begin their training soon.
Asked about his assessment of East Bengal’s reserve squad, Nabi opined:
“I can get a clear picture once I see the full squad. The East Bengal jersey has a rich heritage. You need to give your very best to carry it with distinction. I wish the youngsters all the best.”
East Bengal will begin their 2022 Durand Cup campaign on August 22 with a Group B fixture against the Indian Navy. They’ll play the Kolkata derby against ATK Mohun Bagan on August 28 at the Salt Lake Stadium. Constantine will land in Kolkata on August 4, Thursday.
