Mohun Bagan along with ATK will enter the ISL from the upcoming season and that poses a few questions for the Red and Gold brigade….
I-League giants Mohun Bagan have finally completed a merger with two-time Indian Super League (ISL) champions ATK which will see the new entity compete in the ISL from 2020-21 season.
A new football club will be formed where Sanjeev Goenka’s RPSG Group will own 80% stakes while Mohun Bagan will have the remaining 20%. The club will have the brand names of both the clubs and will come into existence from June 1, 2020.
The entry of the two major clubs from Kolkata – Mohun Bagan and East Bengal – has been a topic for speculation since 2017-18 season when Bengaluru FC left the I-League to join the ISL.
Several meetings and discussions have been held between the parent body of the ISL, Football Sports Development Ltd (FSDL), and the two clubs but nothing materialised until now. In fact, both Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have publicly stated their intention to join the ISL in the past.
So what happens to East Bengal now that Mohun Bagan are confirmed to enter the ISL next season? The Red and Golds came very close to enter the ISL last season when talks were held between FSDL officials, AIFF senior officials and East Bengal investor Quess Corp’s Chairman Ajit Isaac in February 2019. But Quess Corp later changed their mind and decided to stay back in the I-League.
A lot of things have changed in the past one year and Quess are all set to break their alliance with East Bengal after the ongoing season.
With their investor gone and Mohun Bagan joining the ISL next season, East Bengal are in murky waters now.
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