Kolkata giants East Bengal will be the 11th team in the Indian Super League for the upcoming season.
Football Sports Development chairperson and founder Nita Ambani has confirmed the entry of East Bengal in India’s top-flight professional football league.
East Bengal became the 11th franchise in the Indian Super League as Nita Ambani, Founder & Chairperson, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) welcomed the Red and Gold brigade for the seventh edition of India’s top-flight football league.
East Bengal have been the successful bidder after the All Indian Football Federation and the FSDL have floated an invitation of interest to add one more team to the Indian Super League competition.
Speculation was rife about East Bengal’s inclusion in the ISL after the Bangur Group had acquired a majority stake in the Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation, the brand owner entity of the East Bengal Football Club.
“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,” said Nita Ambani.
“West Bengal has made an immense contribution to the growth of the beautiful game in India. 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,” she added.
East Bengal will join ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC, Odisha FC, NorthEast United, Hyderabad FC, Bengaluru FC, Chennaiyin FC, FC Goa, Kerala Blasters and Jamshedpur FC for the ISL 2020-2021 season.
The seventh edition of the ISL is likely to be scheduled between November to March in a bio-secure environment in Goa across three venues – Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Fatorda; GMC Athletic Stadium, Bambolim; and Tilak Maidan Stadium, Vasco.
The matches will be played behind closed doors.
Another Kolkata giant Mohun Bagan has also assured itself of an ISL berth following the merger with the ATK.