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Kolkata giants East Bengal Club will go into the 2017/18 season with former India international Khalid Jamil as their head coach after winning the I-League title with minnows Aizawl FC last season.
The introduction of Khalid Jamil was made at the press room of the red and golds Maidan Tent this afternoon infront of the gathered media.
Jamil joins East Bengal, whom he did not join in his playing days in 2001 due to the club having a beer company as their sponsors which did not meet with his faith and values then, but that has changed with him in his coaching days now.
Khalid Jamil told the media, “Honestly I did not want to leave Aizawl FC but Nituda (Debabrata Sarkar, East Bengal assistant secretary) convinced me and said you must join East Bengal.”
“I won the I-League and I thought it’s time for me to take up the challenge to a next level. East Bengal are a bigger club and there will be pressure. I’m looking forward.”
“The first target is to win my first match here and go step by step from there,” Jamil went on to say.
40 year old Khalid Jamil was born in Kuwait City and played his first youth football in Gulf before having to flee due to the second Gulf War. At youth level he played in Mumbai before being signed by Mahindra&Mahindra SC in 1997. After a year he left for Air India and established himself as a regular National Football League player and during this time in 2000 he got his first India call-up.
In the summer of 2001 Khalid Jamil was a much sought after player, but he stayed in Mumbai to sign for Mahindra United and not for one of the Kolkata giants for the above mentioned reason. In 2007 he left for newly founded Mumbai FC and played for them for two seasons before taking over as head coach in 2009. He stayed with Mumbai FC until 2016 keeping them in the I-League with a limited budgets and then surprised everyone by signing for Aizawl FC last season and they went on to score an incredible I-League triumph.
But now champions Aizawl FC are disintegrating with their some of their key players in Mahmoud Al Amna, Lalramchullova, Brandon Vanlalremdika and likely more all joining their coach Khalid Jamil at East Bengal.
Ever since winning the I-League title with Aizawl FC, Khalid Jamil was on the radar of East Bengal like some other I-League clubs and Indian Super League franchises as assistant coach. But over the last few weeks, East Bengal and Khalid Jamil came closer and could work out a hefty pay package, which was to the liking of the clubs now new coach.
