East Bengal became the latest club to join the Indian Super League on Sunday after Nita Ambani, Founder and President of Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), announced that the Kolkata-based team will be part of the seventh edition of India’s top flight. Soccer League.
The centennial club’s inclusion in ISL, starting in November, was on the expected line after its new investors, Kolkata-based Shree Cement Limited, collected the bidding documents to enter the league.
A consortium of Shree Cement Limited and East Bengal, known as the Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation, had submitted the bidding documents to FSDL.
East Bengal will be the 11th team in the competition, which will be played at three Goa venues this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is such a happy and proud moment for ISL as we welcome East Bengal FC and its millions of fans to the League. The inclusion of both legacy clubs, namely East Bengal and Mohun Bagan (now ATK Mohun Bagan), opens Unlimited possibilities for Indian Soccer, especially for talent development in the state, ”said Ambani.
“West Bengal has made an immense contribution to the growth of the beautiful game in India. ISL’s growing presence in the state and throughout India is a further step towards our mission to build a robust and competitive soccer ecosystem in the country.” added. .
The other 10 teams in the Indian Super League are ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC, Odisha FC, NorthEast United, Hyderabad FC, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Kerala Blasters and Jamshedpur FC.
East Bengal is one of the most decorated clubs in Indian football, it won its first league title in 1942 and has since won the title a record 39 times. The club was also a founding member of the National Football League in 1996 and has won the league title three times. They have also won eight Federation Cups, three Super Cups, a record 29 IFA Shield titles and a record 16 Durand Cup titles.
Kolkata club’s archrivals Mohun Bagan will also be in the ISL this season thanks to their merger with ATK, three-time ISL champions.
The 2020-21 ISL season will be played behind closed doors in Goa and is scheduled to begin in November.
.
