The East Bengal club was officially inducted in the Indian Super League as the eleventh team to participate in the tournament, on Sunday.
This was announced by the tournament management body Football Sports Development Limited’s chairperson Nita Ambani, who welcomed East Bengal as the new team to compete in the 2020-2021 season.
The club, which was recently acquired by Shree Cements, bid for a place in the top league in the country and will be joining its traditional rival Mohun Bagan, which has merged with the ISL champion ATK earlier this year. This completes the admission of the two legacy clubs in the country’s elite league, much to the joy of millions of fans and supporters each of them commands.
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Proud moment
“It is such a happy and proud moment for ISL as we welcome East Bengal FC and their millions of fans into the League. The inclusion of both legacy clubs, i.e. East Bengal and Mohun Bagan (now ATK Mohun Bagan) opens limitless possibilities for Indian football, especially for talent development in the state,” Nita Ambani said in her statement.
With the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee standing up for the club and urging the All India Football Federation and the FSDL to ensure East Bengal’s entry in the tournament, Shree Cements agreed to invest in the club and procured a 76% in the team.
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The East Bengal club has now convened a special general meeting to transfer the sporting rights to Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation, which is the new company formed to formalize the acquisition.
“West Bengal has made an immense contribution to the growth of the beautiful game in India. The ISL’s growing footprint in the state and across India is yet another step towards our mission of building a competitive and robust football ecosystem in the country,” Nita added in her statement.