What’s the story?
IMG Reliance, the creators of the Indian Super League had asked East Bengal and Mohun Bagan to shift their bases from Kolkata to other cities and townships in the state if they are to participate in the tournament in the coming days.
According to sources from leading Bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika, this has been dismissed outrightly by both the clubs, with club officials quoted as saying, “Both the clubs have been playing for years now and have millions of supporters. Without us, the ISL will not survive. There is no question of us moving away from the city and playing elsewhere.”
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In an effort to ensure East Bengal, Mohun Bagan and Bengaluru FC’s participation in the ISL this year, the AIFF alongside IMG Reliance are been pulling all the stops to include these giants of football.
However, according to a contract signed by the franchises and Reliance, only one team can participate from one city. With Calcutta already having Atletico de Kolkata, the officials had asked if Mohun Bagan could play in the Durgapur Stadium in Durgapur and if East Bengal could base their team around the Kanchenjungha Stadium in Siliguri or the Kalyani Stadium in Kalyani. Needless to say, the proposal has been dismissed right from the outset.
The heart of the matter
East Bengal and Mohun Bagan are both century-old clubs, and the ISL Committee is well aware that it can only sustain the league if they participate, along with Bengaluru FC.
The idea is to create a top-tier league that will have the existing eight franchises along with these three I-League outfits. Apart from the contractual obligations, problems could also surface if all three share the same stadium or even the same city which includes logistical and branding related issues.
Moreover, the ISL’s burning desire to tap into the fanbase of these clubs, which runs into millions could even leave ATK with practically zero support.
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What’s next?
IMG R has been lobbying the AIFF to ensure the dream of “One Country, One League” turns into a reality but it seems unlikely that will be able to get past this objection. Kolkata has housed these two giants of Indian football since their inception, and if they do not get to play at either the Salt Lake Stadium or the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, it is obvious the restructuring will not go ahead as scheduled.
Author’s take
The “merger” has had numerous problems to begin with already, and they keep compounding day by day. Given how steeply inclined the AIFF is in ensuring it goes ahead as planned, one thinks that there is a good possibility that a middle ground will be found, some way or the other. It remains to be seen, though, whether the mutually agreeable terms can be finalised before the next season kicks in.
