BENGALURU: This is rich. The executive committee of Quess East Bengal Football Club (emphasis ours), is going around making statements claiming to represent the I-League club, but the controlling 70% stakeholder has no part to play in the proceedings
As the club’s executive committee member Debabrata ‘Nitu’ Sarkar confirmed to IANS, “In today’s (Monday) meeting we have unanimously (emphasis ours) decided to take part in ISL and Super Cup. We will send a letter to our chairman Ajit Isaac to convey our decision so that he can consider (again emphasis ours).”
It bears noting that Quess East Bengal CEO Sanjit Sen was not even sent an invite for Monday’s working committee meeting.
So exactly what is Isaac supposed to consider? He is the owner of the club. But he is issued a fait accompli that he is supposed to rubber stamp by an executive committee whose motives are clearly suspect.
What is clear from all this is that the club’s executive committee is engaged in internecine politicking with the tacit support of an as yet unclear backroom operator.
Contacted by IANS following the Quess chairman & MD’s statement that some people were trying to politicise the current situation within the club, Sen said that it was not his domain and the chairman’s office should be contacted in the matter. He went on to add that he wasn’t even sent an invite for Monday’s working committee meeting.
“You need to understand that there are three entities (in the club) and the letter from the executive committee of the club has been sent to the chairman of Quess. We as Quess East Bengal do not have any invitation and it’s the club’s meeting hence we are not going to attend it,” Sen said.
Isaac had earlier told a news channel that the club remains committed to succeed and will take every necessary step for its progress.
In the same statement, however, Isaac blamed some members of the club for getting involved in “avoidable politics”.
“Some members of the EB club on the basis of a strange letter from the (All India) Football Federation have been involved in avoidable politics and we will not be drawn to that.
“Please work with us to help QEBFC and football in India to move forward. I want to thank all of you for your tremendous support and please note that we believe that QEBFC is a fantastic club with one of the best supporter base in the world. Together, let’s make the changes to make QEBFC a world class club,” he said.
“We are here to play football at every competitive stage and will play the game with every effort possible when we know that the federation will provide a level playing field and a commercial structure that is sustainable,” he added.
Clearly, Isaac’s comments confirm that the 70% controlling stakeholder in Quess East Bengal is with the other seven agitating clubs who have refused to participate in the Super Cup until they are heard.
So pretty much the only value Sarkar’s telling the newswire that the club is interested in participating in the Super Cup is limited to the media chatter his comments help amplify.
For the record though, it bears noting that East Bengal have only till Wednesday to reply to the AIFF.
“It is unfortunate that this difference of opinion is there. That is why we want them to come and conduct a meeting with us. We will wait for 48 hours and and then take any further decision,” Sarkar told football website Goal.
What is really unfortunate is that it is Sarkar and his ilk who have been primarily responsible for the institution having fallen into the shambles it was in. Which is what necessitated the club’s having to find “white knight” investor in the first place. Now that the investor is on board, it should come as no surprise that the likes of Sarkar will try his (their) levellest to ensure that a grip on the administration of the club is retained in their collective hands. And if thwarted, will not think twice about indulging in slash and burn tactics, the club’s interests be damned.
