MUMBAI: Quess East Bengal on Sunday kick-started their centenary celebrations with a torch rally at Kumartuli Park in North Kolkata, a place where the club came into existence for the first time in August 1920. Former India skipper Bhaichung Bhutia and Sukumar Samajpati, who captained the club in the early 60s, lit the torch to start the gala celebration.
On Monday came the news that many in the industry (including SportzPower) had increasingly assumed was only a matter of time. A little over one year after taking a 70% controlling stake in the team (not the club it needs stressing), reports are coming in that Quess Corp is pulling out following irreconcilable differences with the entrenched old guard of the club.
XtraTime.in reports that East Bengal team (emphasis ours) chairman Ajit Isaac, also the CMD of Quess, has decided to cut the ties with the club.
“You cannot work with these club officials. You just cannot. I have already served a notice to the club and don’t want to hamper the celebration on August 1. We will come up with the announcement after that,” Isaac told XtraTime.in.
“I love the fans and the glorious club. I spent more than Rs 20 crore (Rs 200 million) last season. But this cannot continue. I am disappointed with the entire saga. I came here to help the club, not to fight,” the Quess top honcho said.
“I want to be associated with Indian football for sure. Might be a new club. But I will be there where I will get the environment,” he added.
The report also suggest Quess might be interested in investing in East Bengal’s crosstown rivals Mohun Bagan.
Earlier this year, Isaac had stated that the representatives of his club and FC Barcelona held talks to discuss a potential partnership between both the clubs.
All that will most likely soon be history. And the entrenched old guard will have full run over what will soon be proved a poisoned chalice, more likely than not. The big losers? The storied club’s long suffering fans.
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