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Kolkata giants East Bengal Club and Mohun Bagan AC today, April 26 met with officials of the Indian Football Association (West Bengal) at the Bengal Club in central Kolkata to discuss ways forward in regard to their possible participation in the Indian Super League.
The top clubs officials sat around a table with IFA president and AIFF senior vice-president Subrata Dutta and IFA honorary secretary Uptal Ganguli to make their stand clear that both clubs want to play whichever will be the top tier football league in India, but not on the terms of the Football Sports Development Limited, a joint venture between IMG-Reliance and Star India, rather on their own terms.
After the meeting Subrata Dutta told the media said, “Both the clubs have come together on this issue and are willing to play only in the top most official league of the country, considering their contribution to Indian football. Also keeping in mind of their heritage the franchisee fee of Rs 15 crore should be waived off.”
“They are of the opinion that they should be allowed to play home matches in Kolkata as they don’t want to deprive members and supporters of their right.”
The two clubs are also looking for support and backing from the All India Football Federation against the Football Sports Development Limited with a meeting likely to happen next week with AIFF president Praful Patel and General Secretary Kushal Das.
“They will make one memorandum and will give it to the Federation. They will want the AIFF by their side and want IMG-Reliance to accept their proposal keeping their contribution to Indian football mind.”
Interestingly the federation is citing the example of Aizawl FC as a low budget team with limited resources, which could win the I-League this Sunday against the big spending Kolkata teams, who want to avoid the franchise fee and set their own budgets rather than a set budget by the league body besides not being bound by licensee agreement clauses.
Subrata Dutta ended by saying, “Now these conditions do not arise. They will field their own team and get their own sponsors. They want to directly compete in the top most official league of the country with the money they can afford to spend.”
From East Bengal and Mohun Bagan’s perspective all valid points, but will IMG-Reliance agree to allow these two clubs because of their history and background different statues than their franchisees. It will be interesting to follow in the coming weeks.
