We Don’t Believe In Chop & Change Policy, Says MD Of Club’s Investor
When Quess Corp was unveiled as the new investor of East Bengal in July, it was hailed as a game-changer at the 98-year-old club.
As East Bengal bounced back into the I-League championship race with a 3-2 win over Mohun Bagan on Sunday, Ajit Isaac — chairman and MD of the Bengaluru-based company — reflected on the expectations and aspirations of the joint venture in an exclusive interview with ToI.
Following are excerpts:
How would you like to describe your association with East Bengal — a marriage of convenience or a marriage made in heaven?
Let me give it a slightly different spin. Many times in life, situations happen by the alignment of planets. It may provide an opportunity and an experience, a joy and emotion. For us, East Bengal is one such thing. It’s at the transformational stage and we have a role to play in it.
But why have you decided to join a supporters-based club? Doesn’t it present more challenges?
We didn’t consciously brand ourselves in a structured way previously. But in the 10th year of our evolution, something has changed for the company in terms of business and that change has been reflected in our marketing approach. I think we have a great base at East Bengal to build something for the future. And about the challenge of being at a result-driven club, why do you have the fan-base in the first place? A fan will support you in good times as well as bad times. This almost 100-year-old club has not won the I-League in 14 years, yet it has such a strong fan base. What we want to do is give more for our fans than what they have got in the last 10 years. We want to reward their loyalty.
How would you like to build the team for future?
Firstly, a culture change is necessary. Many people have told me that there is a culture of removing coaches and players very rapidly once the team fails. But we need patience. We don’t believe in chopand-change policy. We want to give the team management time and space for a longer period so that they can rise to their level of expectations. We want to have specialists at the club and will back them completely.
Is it a conscious effort to bring a Spanish armada on board to achieve your goal?
We are not isolated in our focus. What is important for us is merit and suitability to our requirements. It just happened — by a combination of coincidence and circumstances — that some of them are Spanish-speaking people. But we have got some of the best legs in business.
There’s a possibility that you may be judged by the progress of Mohun Bagan, and East Bengal’s failure may invite a backlash from the fans. Is that a worry?
They are two separate clubs and we must not equate our decisions in relation to what Mohun Bagan do. We are here for a long term. We’d like to see the club win and we’ll do everything necessary to get the results. In case we fail to achieve the goal occasionally, we are not worried at all.
The club is approaching its centenary. Any special plans to celebrate the occasion?
That is for the club to take a call. We will not be involved in it.
Are you ready to play in ISL, if it is made the principal league?
I think in the interest of Indian football as well as ticket-paying fans, we need a quality league. What do you need to compete in ISL? An internal machinery in terms of organization, a talented team and finance. I think that we have all three to play in any league.
This red lipstick lady seems to the cheer leader of EB - she can be seen in many pics of leading kolkata dailies! She is in the above pic also(partly hidden)!
Is Quess looking into the cheerleader angle too - ala IPL!
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Mahmoud Al Amna Exclusive Interview
‘Culture change is necessary at EB’
We Don’t Believe In Chop & Change Policy, Says MD Of Club’s Investor
When Quess Corp was unveiled as the new investor of East Bengal in July, it was hailed as a game-changer at the 98-year-old club.
As East Bengal bounced back into the I-League championship race with a 3-2 win over Mohun Bagan on Sunday, Ajit Isaac — chairman and MD of the Bengaluru-based company — reflected on the expectations and aspirations of the joint venture in an exclusive interview with ToI.
Following are excerpts:
How would you like to describe your association with East Bengal — a marriage of convenience or a marriage made in heaven?
Let me give it a slightly different spin. Many times in life, situations happen by the alignment of planets. It may provide an opportunity and an experience, a joy and emotion. For us, East Bengal is one such thing. It’s at the transformational stage and we have a role to play in it.
But why have you decided to join a supporters-based club? Doesn’t it present more challenges?
We didn’t consciously brand ourselves in a structured way previously. But in the 10th year of our evolution, something has changed for the company in terms of business and that change has been reflected in our marketing approach. I think we have a great base at East Bengal to build something for the future. And about the challenge of being at a result-driven club, why do you have the fan-base in the first place? A fan will support you in good times as well as bad times. This almost 100-year-old club has not won the I-League in 14 years, yet it has such a strong fan base. What we want to do is give more for our fans than what they have got in the last 10 years. We want to reward their loyalty.
How would you like to build the team for future?
Firstly, a culture change is necessary. Many people have told me that there is a culture of removing coaches and players very rapidly once the team fails. But we need patience. We don’t believe in chopand-change policy. We want to give the team management time and space for a longer period so that they can rise to their level of expectations. We want to have specialists at the club and will back them completely.
Is it a conscious effort to bring a Spanish armada on board to achieve your goal?
We are not isolated in our focus. What is important for us is merit and suitability to our requirements. It just happened — by a combination of coincidence and circumstances — that some of them are Spanish-speaking people. But we have got some of the best legs in business.
There’s a possibility that you may be judged by the progress of Mohun Bagan, and East Bengal’s failure may invite a backlash from the fans. Is that a worry?
They are two separate clubs and we must not equate our decisions in relation to what Mohun Bagan do. We are here for a long term. We’d like to see the club win and we’ll do everything necessary to get the results. In case we fail to achieve the goal occasionally, we are not worried at all.
The club is approaching its centenary. Any special plans to celebrate the occasion?
That is for the club to take a call. We will not be involved in it.
Are you ready to play in ISL, if it is made the principal league?
I think in the interest of Indian football as well as ticket-paying fans, we need a quality league. What do you need to compete in ISL? An internal machinery in terms of organization, a talented team and finance. I think that we have all three to play in any league.
https://www.facebook.com/dhrgfc/photos/pb.258278004290807.-2207520000.1545231655./1923357141116210/?type=3&theater
Is Quess looking into the cheerleader angle too - ala IPL!
Dovale also looks like young Kaka