Kushal Das: It is better for East Bengal to wait for a year and then join ISL
"I am absolutely certain that East Bengal will play ISL - be it this year or next year. If they come in ISL they must come in with a long-term vision and with a proper structure. It took six months for Mohun Bagan and ATK to finalise the deal. It is better to wait for a year. Because the heavens are not going to fall if they play in ISL from next year. They still have an issue with their old partner (Quess Corp). If they manage to resolve it then they are welcome from this season," stated Das during a webinar organised by West Bengal Chamber of Commerce on Indian football.
Laughable to hear words like "long-term vision" and "proper structure" being used by the "embarrassment for Indian football." Classic example of the pot calling the kettle black! As though during his ten-year tenure, the AIFF has always had a long-term vision and put in place a properstructure for Indian football. The sooner these worthies (Das, Dhar etc.) leave our football set-up the better..."theheavens are not going to fall" if they leave Indian football and go back to their corporate jobs
I am, of course, not condoning the corrupt EB officials who have been responsible for the condition of the club.
@thebeautifulgame Yes ofcourse he is a laughing stock, but that does not change the desperation levels of EB trying to be in ISL. For sure, right now, they don't exemplify the professionalism to even play in I-League. Let them find an investor who will work in harmony with their vision. I hope their vision is not just to play in ISL now.
They need a good working balance, or this will be just Quess part 2. Remainder the same could happen to MB, if they still think they can play politics on every issue. Its a broad issue with Kolkata clubs as a whole.
EB and MB get a lot of flak for being unprofessional, a lot of which is actually deserved. At the same time, these two are the only clubs which manage to stand strong amidst everything. Every ISL franchise and I league club that hasn't folded already has been rumoured to be folding at some point or the other; nearly everyone has been either relegated or finished in relegation zone but got a concession, yet EB and MB have featured consistently in the top 5 (often in top 3) over the last two decades. IMO, EB and MB deserve a hell lot of a criticism for their mismanagement, unprofessionalism and what-not, but to always call them failures when other clubs end up as one-season wonders is a bit hypocritical.
@Samyajit True as torchbearers they did not approach the game professionally. Explains why a club like BFC could come in 2 seasons and become a better professional club than EB which is in centenary year explains what i am talking about.
They have been around the block long time. They have no vision, Failing is different, They lack vision and professionalism. A lot of clubs like DSK and Pune Fc might have folded. But they brought professionalism to the game. EB has failed big time. MB as well. After 100 + years still no infrastructure to have a proper stadium/ youth development. That looks big. I am not discrediting their contribution to Indian football. I feel for a 100 year old club, they are run in a despicable way. No fan deserves that.
Agree with most of what you said, except DSK and PFC bringing professionalism while EB/MB lacking a stadium or youth development. In fact, only a few clubs directly run a stadium in India. EB,MB and Mohammedan are all included in the list. Also, the three have a decent youth development programme. True, not as good as BFC, but not as piss poor as everyone makes it out. Generally, while grading Indian clubs, EB or MB are expected by everyone to hold a higher standard than the rest😏.
It is futile to expect any club owning a proper stadium.
Events like National Games, SAF, Asian / Commonwealth create sporting infrastructure.
National Games in Punjab, Bangalore, Poona, National and Afro-Asian games of Hyderabad, SAF Games of Madras 1995, Gauhati National and SAF games, Manipur National Games created sporting infrastructure including proper stadiums for football with floodlights.
The stadiums used by various ISL (and infact other leagues like kabaddi) are products of those events only.
Lets hope that in future West Bengal will host either National Games or South Asian Games. They did host SAF games in 1987. This time a new modern stadium with 25 or 30 thousand capacity should come up. Barring Derby, other matches could be played there.
And both Bagan and EB have delivered when it mattered most.
And despite all odds, they haven't shut shop unlike few of the so called professional setups where the owner(s) have actually run away within one/two years of operation! No new business can make profit in the first few years - so the question is why did they even think of venturing into football? Just b'cos they thought they can make obscenely huge money as IPL franchise owners! ? In that case they should have got into some hawala or shady business and NOT football in India,
In India, u need to have a pair of solid scrotum to invest in football - and not only money but the involvement & Bagan/EB officials have had the balls to do so. If that is not long term vision, than what is a long term vision w.r.t. Indian football - that u put money in football one day & looking at the reality pull out and put that money on pulses and besan (Ohh... yes these days on masks n all sorts of counterfeit sanitizers! )
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Kushal Das: It is better for East Bengal to wait for a year and then join ISL
https://www.goal.com/en-in/news/kushal-das-east-bengal-join-isl-next-year-indian-football/7r8rqhes7t9w16xocolekg043
Laughable to hear words like "long-term vision" and "proper structure" being used by the "embarrassment for Indian football." Classic example of the pot calling the kettle black! As though during his ten-year tenure, the AIFF has always had a long-term vision and put in place a proper structure for Indian football. The sooner these worthies (Das, Dhar etc.) leave our football set-up the better..."the heavens are not going to fall" if they leave Indian football and go back to their corporate jobs
I am, of course, not condoning the corrupt EB officials who have been responsible for the condition of the club.
Yes ofcourse he is a laughing stock, but that does not change the desperation levels of EB trying to be in ISL. For sure, right now, they don't exemplify the professionalism to even play in I-League. Let them find an investor who will work in harmony with their vision. I hope their vision is not just to play in ISL now.
They need a good working balance, or this will be just Quess part 2. Remainder the same could happen to MB, if they still think they can play politics on every issue. Its a broad issue with Kolkata clubs as a whole.
True as torchbearers they did not approach the game professionally. Explains why a club like BFC could come in 2 seasons and become a better professional club than EB which is in centenary year explains what i am talking about.
They have been around the block long time. They have no vision, Failing is different, They lack vision and professionalism. A lot of clubs like DSK and Pune Fc might have folded. But they brought professionalism to the game. EB has failed big time. MB as well. After 100 + years still no infrastructure to have a proper stadium/ youth development. That looks big. I am not discrediting their contribution to Indian football. I feel for a 100 year old club, they are run in a despicable way. No fan deserves that.
And both Bagan and EB have delivered when it mattered most.
And despite all odds, they haven't shut shop unlike few of the so called professional setups where the owner(s) have actually run away within one/two years of operation! No new business can make profit in the first few years - so the question is why did they even think of venturing into football? Just b'cos they thought they can make obscenely huge money as IPL franchise owners! ? In that case they should have got into some hawala or shady business and NOT football in India,
In India, u need to have a pair of solid scrotum to invest in football - and not only money but the involvement & Bagan/EB officials have had the balls to do so. If that is not long term vision, than what is a long term vision w.r.t. Indian football - that u put money in football one day & looking at the reality pull out and put that money on pulses and besan (Ohh... yes these days on masks n all sorts of counterfeit sanitizers! )