Reports | East Bengal may become 11th team in Indian Super League
East Bengal is in advance talks with the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and their commercial partners IMG-Reliance to seek entry into the ISL. It is believed EB have bagged a sponsor and after successful completion of the financial criteria, may enter ISL either this year or the season after.
East Bengal appeared to be in financial trouble over the past few years and with interest in the I-League dwindling, it looked like they could be in a host of problems. However, there has been a shocking development recently that they might be given a ticket to the cash-rich ISL. The news was released by the unlikeliest source - their eternal rivals Mohun Bagan. Swapan Sadhan Bose, after Mohun Bagan's annual general meeting, made a statement that their rivals East Bengal would go on to become the 11th side in the ISL this year.Â
According to Goal, the claim surfaced after Bagan learned about the fact that East Bengal had been in contact with AIFF and IMG Reliance regarding a possible opportunity of making it into the Indian Super League. The reason behind the request has been zeroed in because the potential sponsors of the club wanted the three-time league winners to play in the ISL before agreeing on a deal.
East Bengal official Debabrata Sarkar refused to divulge too much information to Goal when asked about the ongoing discussions, "As of now, I do not have much to reveal to the press."
