East Bengal news: Indian Super League club finds new investor in Emami Group

The West Bengal Chief Minister met officials of East Bengal and Emami Group on Wednesday and announced the new partnership.

East Bengal made its entry into the Indian Super League in 2020; Credit: Twitter/@sc_eastbengal
By Sreejith C R | May 26, 2022 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Over the last few years, EB had been struggling with ownership issues during a disastrous period in the Indian Super League (ISL). After the club failed to get an investor in place, West Bengal (WB) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee helped them rope in Shree Cements Ltd which allowed them to join the ISL before the 2020-21 season. The West Bengal Chief Minister has once again emerged as the Kolkata-based iconic football clubs saviour as she met officials of East Bengal and Emami Group on Wednesday and announced the new partnership. The Kolkata-based conglomerate has a massive presence in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector and they will be East Bengal’s new investors. 

East Bengal will participate in the 2022-23 ISL

Speaking about the new tie-up, CM Mamata Banerjee stated: “I had a small request to them (the Emami Group) if they could help East Bengal, since they have been a Kolkata-based industry and have never left Bengal. East Bengal Club has a strong brand value. The two parties will meet later and sort out the details. Today, over a cup of tea, both the parties have agreed to the partnership. This paves the way for East Bengal’s participation in the ISL”

“In Bengal, Didi (Banerjee) is the only Chief Minister who thinks about sports. I thank the Emami Group and we have decided to walk together in the future. We hope to improve the club’s performance and make all football fans happy,” East Bengal official Debabrata Sarkar said.

On behalf of Emami Group, Aditya Agarwal said, “We thank the Chief Minister for offering us a chance to be associated with such a top club. Emami has been associated with East Bengal and football since the 1990s and now we are getting a second chance. We hope that we will be able to meet the expectations.”

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East Bengal’s investor issues in the past

The cement Conglomerate Shree Cements bought 76% of the club’s shares but after a couple of years, their association came to an end and last month with the company handing over the sporting rights of the Kolkata outfit. EB were in talks with Bangladesh-based conglomerate Bashundhara Group but it didn’t lead to any deal. Meanwhile the Quess Corp quit after two years in 2020.

East Bengal’s on-field struggles

East Bengal’s off-field issues have certainly affected their performances on the field. The century-old club struggled with their player recruitments as they struggled bring in quality Indian players. Former Indian internationals Balwant Singh, Jeje Lelpekhlua, CK Vineeth looked off-colors and past their prime. The Red and Gold Brigade struggled in both of their ISL campaigns, finishing at the 9th spot in the 11-team league in 2020-21 season before ending up at the bottom of the table the following campaign. Meanwhile last term, EB registered only 1 win in 20 appearances. 





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