Quess has 100% legal rights over all football activities at East Bengal. The Nitu-Kalyan combo had been sulking for quite a while because they had lost their erstwhile power (cut money through signing substandard foreigners etc.) and were eager to grab their 15 minutes of fame. So, they, as well as the opposition group in EB, with some prodding from AIFF/FSDL (maybe some greasing of palms also took place) orchestrated this risible theatre, knowing fully well that such cheap stunts would fall fully flat and won't cut ice with the supporters. Some of the media houses too are hand in glove with these evil forces and are desperately playing up this rift within EB to serve their own interests. Pratidin, for example, run by Tutu-Srinjoy, are eager to show that things are as bad at EB as they are at MB and have allotted 48 hours to the Quess East Bengal honeymoon (heading in today's paper)
99% of EB fans are with Quess and Ajit Isaac and are OK with whatever decision they take...not speaking of the handful of pseudo-fans hired by the moronic officials and who "demonstrated" their willingness to play in the Super Cup, ISL blah blah
I don't think EB is backstabbing (though I agree with your observation @sam, including the MB part). EB is straining to play in ISL yet simultaneously trying to put brakes to Super Cup, in the process displaying the the rift between the club and the owner. What beats me that EB as a club need not show solidarity with IL clubs, they are past that stage (at least, after this season). Neither do they need to antagonize the regulator, albeit a private entity.
AIFF on the other hand trying to strong-arm EB, by 18th if they do not take to the fields for Super Cup, on 20th they are going to turn down EB's application for ISL, even though FSDL can ill-afford that.
99% of EB fans are with Quess and Ajit Isaac and are OK with whatever decision they take...
This thinking is dangerous. Tomorrow Quess may close down, goes into administration or some other businessman will purchase it. They are not even local !!! Future of this historic club will sink with them.
Sponsorship is fine but who gives complete Rights of a club to some company. I dont recall fans saying Kingfisher has complete rights over East Bengal
No one has given the complete rights. Fans can see quess is taking decision for club's good future and nitu nexus just wants to benefit from the club. So fans are with quess. In future if fans see quess are doing bad things they won't be with them. Fans are not stupid
In the old Kingfisher days, Vijay Mallya did provide money but more often than not, that money was misused by club officials for their own advantages...recruit sub-standard foreigners and get their share of cut money. There was no transparency about the process and the results, year after year, was there for everyone to see. The fans could see through though such ruses and in fact it was a massive protest by the fans, both in real life and in social media, that compelled the officials to make the deal with Quess.
The fans are OK with Quess because they have seen that Quess has been able to bring about a change in the club culture, albeit to a modest level, recruit a coach who has the potential to deliver the goods and develop a team spirit which was missing in recent years in EB. they have seen that Ajit Isaac is very passionate about the club, talks rationally, he does not promise you the moon but usually delivers on what he promises. I don't think Quess can shut down in the near future, otherwise the club would not have made them 70% shareholder
I don't understand whose "desperation to play in the ISL" you are talking about...that Quess is not desperate to playin the ISL is evident otherwise they would not have joined the association of eight other clubs saying that they would not play in the Super club unless they were provided a clear roadmap about the future of Indian football. They have also had reservations about paying the franchise fee of 15 crore per year and competing in the ISL and have conveyed it to AIFF/FSDL which is why AIFF has surreptitiously sent the letter to the Pranab Dasgupta by bypassing Quess (in fact arm-twisting them to play ISL). Fans too are obviously not desperate to play in ISL because they are on the side of Quess who have shown no urgency to play in the ISL but a unified league which shall be accorded top status next season
If someone is indeed desperate to play in ISL, it is the Nitu-Kalyan combination. Actually, it is not so much a desperation to play in the ISL but the desire to earn a few quick bucks and to bask in the reflected glory of the team
Nitu and Co. has threatened to send EB president's XI to super cup if QUESS don't agree. Team will be made of academy and available on loan players coached by former player chandan
Nitu is sandwiched between Kalyan & Co. and few ex footballers of EB who aren't making cut money after Quess stepped in with their transparent policy.
This is precisely the reason, I keep repeating that absolutely NOTHING is left in Kolkata football. B'cos of lack of opportunities for job, business,entrepreneurship,startups etc., these fringe guys desperately wants to cling on to these establishments to earn their livings instead of doing something constructive. Hence these cheap and murky politics to protect their business interest.
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99% of EB fans are with Quess and Ajit Isaac and are OK with whatever decision they take...not speaking of the handful of pseudo-fans hired by the moronic officials and who "demonstrated" their willingness to play in the Super Cup, ISL blah blah
AIFF on the other hand trying to strong-arm EB, by 18th if they do not take to the fields for Super Cup, on 20th they are going to turn down EB's application for ISL, even though FSDL can ill-afford that.
In the old Kingfisher days, Vijay Mallya did provide money but more often than not, that money was misused by club officials for their own advantages...recruit sub-standard foreigners and get their share of cut money. There was no transparency about the process and the results, year after year, was there for everyone to see. The fans could see through though such ruses and in fact it was a massive protest by the fans, both in real life and in social media, that compelled the officials to make the deal with Quess.
The fans are OK with Quess because they have seen that Quess has been able to bring about a change in the club culture, albeit to a modest level, recruit a coach who has the potential to deliver the goods and develop a team spirit which was missing in recent years in EB. they have seen that Ajit Isaac is very passionate about the club, talks rationally, he does not promise you the moon but usually delivers on what he promises. I don't think Quess can shut down in the near future, otherwise the club would not have made them 70% shareholder
I don't understand whose "desperation to play in the ISL" you are talking about...that Quess is not desperate to play in the ISL is evident otherwise they would not have joined the association of eight other clubs saying that they would not play in the Super club unless they were provided a clear roadmap about the future of Indian football. They have also had reservations about paying the franchise fee of 15 crore per year and competing in the ISL and have conveyed it to AIFF/FSDL which is why AIFF has surreptitiously sent the letter to the Pranab Dasgupta by bypassing Quess (in fact arm-twisting them to play ISL). Fans too are obviously not desperate to play in ISL because they are on the side of Quess who have shown no urgency to play in the ISL but a unified league which shall be accorded top status next season
If someone is indeed desperate to play in ISL, it is the Nitu-Kalyan combination. Actually, it is not so much a desperation to play in the ISL but the desire to earn a few quick bucks and to bask in the reflected glory of the team
This is precisely the reason, I keep repeating that absolutely NOTHING is left in Kolkata football. B'cos of lack of opportunities for job, business,entrepreneurship,startups etc., these fringe guys desperately wants to cling on to these establishments to earn their livings instead of doing something constructive. Hence these cheap and murky politics to protect their business interest.