KOLKATA: Long on the cards, East Bengal made it official Monday that UB Group’s beer brand Kingfisher is no longer the club’s title partner.
Though, it is still to reflect on the club’s official website, henceforth the name ‘Kingfisher’ will not be included before the Kolkata giant’s name.
UB set foot as the sponsor of Kolkata and India’s two of the biggest clubs, Mohun Bagan and East Bengal back in 1998 when Vijay Mallya was the owner of the multi-national company. While the Green and Maroon brigade cut its ties a few seasons ago, their arch-rivals held on till now.
The Bengaluru-based company informed East Bengal club officials vide a letter on Monday that it would no longer be the part of the Kingfisher East Bengal Football Team Private Limited, ending its two-decade-long association with the club, Times of India reported.
The reasons for the de-linking are purely financial. UB had informed the club management last month that it was willing to continue as title sponsor only if the rights fee was drastically cut from the Rs 35 million it coughed up last season to Rs 15 million for the upcoming season.
During the press conference held on Monday, the directors of the club revealed that they are trying to shortlist potential sponsors and investors for the club, that too as soon as possible so that the financial matter is solved. “Hopefully, we can finish the process soon,” shared Debabrata Sarkar.
East Bengal will participate in the ensuing Calcutta Football League without a title sponsor. The club, however, will need to form a separate entity as a company before the I-League.
Addressing the media after the meeting in the club premises, club General Secretary Kalyan Majumder said: “UB group never said that they will not be sponsoring us. They have said that they will pay us a certain amount of money as sponsors of the club but as the amount is too less, we will not consider them as our title sponsors. But they will continue to be one of our co-sponsors.”
East Bengal finished fourth in the I-League and runners-up in the Super Cup this season.
